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U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves are Abusing USPS's Mail Scanning Service — Krebs on Security
A year ago, KrebsOnSecurity warned that “Informed Delivery,” a new offering from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) that lets residents view scanned images of all incoming mail, was likely to be abused by identity thieves and other fraudsters unless the USPS beefed up security around the program and made it easier for people to opt out. This week, the U.S. Secret Service issued an internal alert warning that many of its field offices have reported crooks are indeed using Informed Delivery to commit various identity theft and credit card fraud schemes.
The internal alert — sent by the Secret Service on Nov. 6 to its law enforcement partners nationwide — references a recent case in Michigan in which seven people were arrested for allegedly stealing credit cards from resident mailboxes after signing up as those victims at the USPS’s Web site.
According to the Secret Service alert, the accused used the Informed Delivery feature “to identify and intercept mail, and to further their identity theft fraud schemes.”
“Fraudsters were also observed on criminal forums discussing using the Informed Delivery service to surveil potential identity theft victims,” the Secret Service memo reads.
The USPS did not respond to repeated requests for comment over the past six days.
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Sunday November 11 2018, @02:14PM (2 children)
I have been using the informed delivery service now for about 6 months. I thoroughly enjoy it. Even a good friend of mine that actually works at the post office uses it. (He has been a friend since before he worked there.) I encourage people to sign up.
One thing though... The emails say allow a week before reporting missing mail. DON'T. I actually had a problem once and after waiting a week, the images are no longer available on the website... kind of defeats the purpose. Maybe allow 2 or 3 days... but a not the full week that the emails say.
I have no idea what you are talking about...
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 11 2018, @02:44PM
>> Does anyone here (in USA) not have a bar code inside their mailbox by now?
> I have no idea what you are talking about...
My bad, since we have a sticker (and so does my parent's house), I made the wrong assumption that it was universal, explanations here,
https://blog.stamps.com/2017/09/29/whats-managed-service-point/ [stamps.com]
http://www.paperbackswap.com/Managed-Service-Point-Mailbox-Answered/topic/198777/ [paperbackswap.com]
Looks like the original purpose was to track delivery routes.
Our "Managed Service Point" sticker is on the inside the mailbox door (rural box, hinge on the bottom of door), so the delivery person has to open the mailbox to scan it. Other images show the sticker on the outside of different kinds of mailboxes. A few times I've been in the front yard and met the mail delivery truck--so they hand me my mail...and then have to open my mailbox anyway to scan in.
(Score: 1) by optotronic on Monday November 12 2018, @03:06AM
I noticed the same (or similar) thing. The instructions say to wait a week, but if you try to file a complaint the date of the incident can only be 6 or so days ago. I figure they don't want complaints, but like to pretend they care. I recognize it's possible the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing, but I've gotten skeptical over the years...
On the plus side, when I complained about getting other people's mail too many times and some of my mail missing, the post-person seemed to start being more careful.