Mail Theft

What is Mail Theft?	Protecting Yourself from Mail Theft
Steps to Take if the Crime Involved a Check Sent Through the Mail	Steps to Take if the Crime Involved a Treasury Check Sent Through the Mail
Steps to Take if the Crime DID NOT Involve the Mail	How to Report Mail or Package Theft / Personal Mailbox Vandalism

 

What is Mail Theft?

Mail Theft refers to anyone taking or possessing mail without the permission of the sender or intended recipient. Mail Theft can occur anytime from the time the sender mails the item until the intended recipient receives it.

 

Protecting Yourself from Mail Theft

• Promptly pick up mail - try not to leave letters and packages in your mailbox or at your door for any length of time.
• If you cannot be home to receive a package, you have several options:
  • Delivery Instructions: Check your tracking number to see if your item is eligible for Delivery Instructions, which may allow you to leave your item with a neighbor, leave it in a specified location at your address or hold it at your Post Office for pickup.
  • When shipping packages to others or ordering shipments from merchants, consider using or requesting Hold for Pickup Service so items can be picked up at the local Post Office™.
  • Have packages delivered to USPS Smart Lockers™ where available.
  • Discover other ways to manage your incoming mail. 
• Away from home? Request USPS Hold Mail® service. Your mail can be held at your local Post Office for a minimum of 3 days to a maximum of 30 days.
• Inquire about overdue mail - if you do not receive a check, credit card, or other valuable mail you're expecting, contact the sender as soon as possible and inquire about it.
• When mailing something important, consider using Signature Confirmation™ for the recipient.
• Don't send cash - Be careful about what you send. Don't risk sending cash in the mail.
• If you move, make sure you file a change of address with the Postal Service, and let your financial institution(s) and other important mailers know as well.

 

Steps to Take if the Crime Involved a Check Sent Through the Mail

1. If your mailing involves a check that was possibly stolen, contact your bank immediately:
   1. If your check never reached the intended recipient, but has not been cashed yet, consider placing a stop payment on the check and opening a new account and closing the potentially compromised account.
   2. If your check was stolen and fraudulently cashed, consider opening a new account and closing the compromised account to prevent future counterfeited checks from being cashed.
2. If the check was stolen and fraudulently cashed, obtain front and back copies of the altered check and work with your bank to determine where the check was deposited.
3. File a report with your local police department and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
   1. Reporting is crucial. This type of theft is an under-reported crime.
   2. A report can be filed with the USPIS at https://mailtheft.uspis.gov/ or by calling 1-877-876-2455. You may also receive a mail theft questionnaire via the mail sent by the Inspector handling your investigation.
   3. For your report, be prepared to provide the following information:
      1. Date, time and location where you mailed the check
      2. Type of mail service used (i.e., First-Class envelope, Priority Mail, etc.)
      3. Who the check was originally payable to and their contact information
      4. The name of the financial institution where the check was fraudulently deposited
      5. Upload a copy of the front and back of the altered check
   4. If you suspect a USPS employee is involved in the theft, contact the USPS Office of Inspector General at https://www.uspsoig.gov/ or 1-888-USPS-OIG (888-877-7644)
4. Notify the intended recipient of the theft
5. If the check was mailed from your home or business, review any available security footage to see if the theft was caught on camera
   1. Ask the intended recipient if they have cameras they can review as well
   2. Download and provide copies of any available video to the local police and the Inspection Service

 

Steps to Take if the Crime Involved a Treasury Check Sent Through the Mail

If you are reporting non-receipt, loss, theft, or destruction of a Treasury check, a report needs to be filed with the agency that issued the check. You can learn more about the agencies that issue Treasury checks and how to report them as lost, missing, or stolen at https://www.usa.gov/government-checks-payments

 

Steps to Take if the Crime DID NOT Involve the Mail

If your package was shipped via another delivery service (i.e., Amazon, FedEx, UPS, etc.) and does not have a USPS tracking number, you must contact that shipping provider or your local police department directly. USPIS does not have jurisdiction over packages that did not enter the custody of the United States Postal Service.

 

How to Report Mail/Package Theft or Personal Mailbox Vandalism

Please follow the steps below if you suspect theft of mail and / or packages. 

Report Mail Theft
Packages with Tracking	Letter Mail and / or Packages without Tracking
To submit a report for theft of a package with a Tracking Number, select "Where is my package?" to complete the form.	To submit a report for theft of letter mail or a package without a Tracking Number, select "Where is my mail?" to complete the form.

You may also visit the U.S. Postal Inspection Service website for additional tips to protect your mail.

You may report an incident of Vandalism* to your personal mailbox in the following manner:

Personal Mailbox Vandalism
No evidence of Mail Theft	Evidence of Mail Theft
Notify your local police. Place your mail on hold if needed, until you repair or replace your box. Contact your Local Post Office if you need further assistance.	Notify your local police. Place your mail on hold if needed, until you repair or replace your box. Report mail theft by following the instructions under "Report Mail Theft", above.

*IMPORTANT: If the vandalism or a fire is in progress, please call your local Police Department or 911 to notify them.