USPS Makes 3 Big Recommendations as Mail Crime Spikes
Cunaplus_M.Faba/iStock
Despite how much we rely on it, it can be easy to take the security of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for granted. After all, it’s often that we send and receive important documents loaded with sensitive information and precious packages . But the unfortunate reality is that plenty of crooks try to exploit the service—especially where sending money is involved. And now, the USPS has released some recommendations on how to avoid check fraud as mail crime spikes. Read on to see what you can do to keep you and your finances safe.
RELATED: 5 Biggest Mail Scams Happening Right Now—and How to Stay Safe .
iStock
While “porch pirates” might feel like a growing problem, package theft isn’t the only type of crime affecting mail and parcel service. Check fraud has also been on the rise in recent years as crooks continue to exploit the paper payments making their way through the USPS.
According to data from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), banks reported about 680,000 check fraud cases in 2022, marking a nearly two-fold increase from 350,000 reports in 2021, per Fortune . The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) also said that the 300,000 complaints it received for mail theft in 2021 had doubled the previous year’s numbers.
Ironically, the spike in this type of fraud is inverse to how often checks are actually cut these days. “Despite the declining use of checks in the United States, criminals have been increasingly targeting the U.S. Mail since the COVID-19 pandemic to commit check fraud,” FinCEN wrote in an alert on Feb. 27.
RELATED: USPS Just Issued a New Warning About Mailing Cash .
hapabapa/iStock
Some also said that handwritten checks they had dropped into the receptacle had been intercepted and used in a “check washing” operation —including one woman whose amount was rewritten to $10,000.
“It was shocking that a stranger with my check could cash the check for $10,000. If I were to go to Citizens Bank to cash a check for $10,000, they’d subject me to quite an interview,” Newton resident Deborah Gordon told WCVB. “So it’s amazing to me that this fraud happens and that it happens frequently.”
RELATED: See a Sticker on Your Mailbox? Don’t Touch It, USPS Says .
Shutterstock
While such types of mail theft remain an issue, the USPS has put out a set of recommendations to customers in order to help cut down on the likelihood they’ll become a victim.
The agency suggests that anyone depositing outgoing mail in a blue collection box should do so before the last pickup time of the day or as close to the scheduled pickup as possible. Otherwise, dropping the mail off inside your local post office is best.
The USPS also warns it’s best not to leave any incoming letters in your mailbox overnight where they could be swiped. And if you’re planning on being out of town for a while, arrange to have your mail held at your local post office or have a friend or neighbor pick it up each day and hold on to it until you return.
RELATED: USPS Is Installing New “Safe” Mailboxes Amid Rising Mail Theft .
DW labs Incorporated / Shutterstock
In addition to being timely with your mail pickup and drop-off, there are a few other ways to help secure paper checks . According to Ryan Moody , senior vice president of payments product management at Vericast, this includes using a gel pen to fill them out, as it can make them harder to wash.
“When those chemicals get applied to a check that has that ink absorbed into the paper, those chemicals don’t stand much of a chance against that, so it’s very easy to see that check has been modified,” he told Federal News Network in a Sept. 4 interview.
But if you ever experience a problem with your post, it’s still best to report it to the authorities. “U.S. Mail should arrive unopened, unread, and intact. When it doesn’t, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service, aggressively investigates,” the USPIS said in a statement to WCVB.
- Source: https://www.fincen.gov/sites/default/files/shared/FinCEN%20Alert%20Mail%20Theft-Related%20Check%20Fraud%20FINAL%20508.pdf
- Source: https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/check-washing
See a Sticker on Your Mailbox? Don’t Touch It, USPS Says
Shutterstock
Your mailbox serves a very simple purpose: receiving mail and leaving outgoing mail for a carrier to pick up. Still, some of us enjoy sprucing up our mailboxes, adding personal flair, color, or even decals to help an otherwise standard mailbox stand out. But if you notice a paw print sticker on your mailbox that you didn’t add, don’t start peeling it off just yet—it’s likely part of a program run by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to help keep carriers safe. Read on to find out what these stickers mean and why you shouldn’t remove them.
RELATED: USPS Wants to Raise the Price of Your Mail Again—Here’s When It Could Happen .
Shutterstock
In 2023, more than 5,800 Postal Service workers were attacked by dogs while delivering mail, up from 5,300 in 2022, according to a USPS press release.
Larger cities had the highest numbers of attacks, with Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, St. Louis, and Cleveland claiming the top five spots.
“Even though a customer’s dog is friendly to most people, it can always have a bad day,” said letter carrier Tara Snyder . “I know, from experience, even when a dog is in the house, customers need to make sure their door is secure so their dog can’t push it open and bite the letter carrier.”
To her point, the USPS writes that “all dogs can bite, even those perceived as nonaggressive.” In fact, many of the attacks that letter carriers report are by dogs whose owners told them, “My dog won’t bite.”
Such an attack can result in consequences for the homeowner, too. According to data from the Insurance Information Institute, the average cost per insurance claim for a dog bite is $64,555, the USPS states.
“When a postal employee suffers an injury, the owner could be responsible for medical bills, lost wages, uniform replacement costs, and pain and suffering for the employee,” they explain.
RELATED: USPS Is Making These Changes to Your Mail, Starting Now .
Shutterstock
To combat dog bites, the Postal Service shared tips on how pet owners can “support safe mail delivery.” These include keeping dogs inside the house or behind a fence, away from the door or in another room, or on a leash.
“Pet owners also should remind children not to take mail directly from a letter carrier as the dog may view the carrier as a threat to the child,” they state.
Mail carriers also follow protocol to keep them aware of areas where dogs might be present, and they’re equipped with scanners to remind them of possible dog hazards, as well as dog warning cards that are added during mail sorting.
In 2020, the USPS added another preventive measure: the PAWS Program . First introduced in Pennsylvania, the program uses mailbox stickers to keep carriers safe.
Canva
The PAWS Program uses color-coded stickers affixed to mailboxes to inform mail carriers about dogs in the area. An orange sticker with a black paw print tells carriers that there is a dog at this home, while a yellow sticker with a black paw print tells them there is a dog at the next house.
Citizens are informed ahead of time that the stickers may appear on their mailboxes. In a notice sent to Lakewood, Ohio, residents, the Postal Service wrote, “Carriers will soon be placing a paw sticker on mailboxes to indicate that a dog or dogs live in the area —yellow indicates dog nearby/orange indicates dog at residence. The sticker will act as a reminder to the carrier that they should proceed with caution, especially when delivering packages to the door.”
RELATED: Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Resigns—What It Means for the USPS and Your Mail .
iStock
Removing these stickers may do more harm than good, as your mail service can be halted if your carrier feels unsafe. Not only does this affect the home of the dog owner, but it also applies to the entire neighborhood, the USPS said in a previous press release . Service isn’t restored in these instances “until the aggressive dog is properly restrained.”
At the end of the day, these stickers are put in place to “reduce the risk of dog bites and attacks that occur while delivering mail,” which is just another reason you should leave the sticker on your mailbox.
“We all love our dogs,” Kimberly Tilley , acting postmaster for Winston-Salem, told WGHP. “We love our animals, but we … have to take responsibility to protect the carrier and the people around us as well from our animals.”
Tilley added that dog bites are more common than you think, and they can be traumatic for carriers. “Once a carrier has been bit, it sets some fear in them long term for the rest of their life,” she told the outlet.
However, although these stickers are strongly recommended, if you object to having a sticker placed on your mailbox, you can opt out , Kyle Stevens , Southwest Carrier Annex station manager in South Dakota, told KELO in 2021. To do so, the first step would be to contact your local post office.
This story has been updated to include additional entries, fact-checking, and copy-editing.
