Keeping your mail safe and secure
“Mailbox fishing, is when mail thieves root through mailed letters for checks they can alter and fraudulently cash, explained Postal Inspector Rick Link. “If mailing checks, you should monitor your bank accounts to make sure they reach their destination and were not altered. If you believe your mail has been stolen, report it immediately by submitting an online complaint at postalinspectors.uspis.gov or by calling USPS Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455.”
Inspector Link was a featured speaker at a recent South Jersey Postal Customer Council (SJPCC) meeting, along with local police, banking officials, and Postmasters. The panel focused on ways consumers can protect themselves from fraudulent scams. Topics included mail fraud, identity theft, scams, and internet safety. They explained how to recognize common identifiers of secure banking machines and what makes a shopping website secure. Inspector Link provided an engaging video on the role the U.S. Postal Inspection Service® plays in keeping the U.S. Mail® and the U.S. Postal Service®’s employees safe.
“The message of consumer protection is simple: it’s never too early or too late to become a more informed and empowered consumer and community member,” said Avalon Postmaster Melissa Lomax. “The U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service® are committed to helping consumers of all ages learn how they can protect their privacy and steer clear of frauds and scams.”
“Our local carriers, clerks, supervisors, supervisors and Postmasters are on the forefront of fraud protection and should be vigilant to protect the communities we serve,” added Wildwood Postmaster Bernadette Puodziunas and Cape May Postmaster Peggy Clifford.
Tips to prevent mail theft
U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommends the following to protect your outgoing mail:
- Deposit outgoing mail at a local Post Office™ location or hand mail to a uniformed USPS letter carrier
- Use a blue USPS collection box – be sure to deposit mail before the last pickup time of the day
- Try not let your outgoing mail sit in your personal mailbox overnight
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service supports and protects the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure, and customers; enforce the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use; and ensure public trust in the mail. As one of our country’s oldest federal law enforcement agencies, founded by Benjamin Franklin, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a proud and successful history of fighting criminals who attack the nation’s postal system and misuse it to defraud, endanger, or otherwise threaten the American public.
Postal Customer Council® (PCC®) programs foster a close working relationship between the U.S. Postal Service® and mailers. This unique platform opens up communication between community businesses and the Postal Service to discuss various subjects relating to the U.S. Mail®. Information about new and existing business products, programs, services, and procedures is shared through focused educational programs. The PCC strives to help industry members and their organizations grow and develop professionally.
More information about the United States Postal Inspection Service can be found online at www.deliveringtrust.com.
Consumer Fraud Panel (pictured left to right) Peggy Clifford, Cape May Postmaster; Bernadette Puodziunas, Post Office Operations Manager; Rick Link, Postal Inspector; Judy Seip, South Jersey District Bulk Mail Entry Unit Manager; Michael Clark, Vice President Sturdy Savings Bank/Middle Township Committeeman; Paul Short, Avalon Borough Code Enforcement Official; Captain John Rosco, Avalon Police Officer; Barbara Juzaitis, Avalon Borough Councilwoman; Melissa Lomax, Avalon Postmaster; Rosemary Fox, South Jersey District Marketing Manager,;and Missy Bock, Marketing Coordinator for Sturdy Savings Bank.