Our jurisdiction is worldwide.

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The Postal Inspection Service enforces over 200 federal statutes related to crimes that involve the postal system, its employees, and its customers. Explore the areas covered under our jurisdiction.

Protecting USPS®

The Postal Inspection Service maintains a police force tasked with securing high-value Post Offices, facilities, and postal vehicles. These Postal Police Officers ® are on duty every hour of every day.

Protecting USPS® Employees

The safety and well-being of postal service employees is a top priority for the Postal Inspection Service. Postal Inspectors and Postal Police Officers work diligently to investigate and prevent instances of violence against our employees.

Illegal Narcotics

The Postal Inspection Service works aggressively to prevent the flow of illicit drugs and contraband through the mail stream, and takes all practicable measures to ensure the sanctity and security of the U.S. Mail. The Inspection Service is central to the strategy to eliminate the mailing of opioids and other illicit drugs and it works closely with other law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to share intelligence, coordinate cases and conduct joint enforcement operations. As part of this effort, the Inspection Service has developed tools to identify those who attempt to hide behind the secrecy of the dark web and cryptocurrency to misuse the postal network.

See How We're Fighting The Opioid Epidemic

Mail and Package Theft

U.S. Mail® should arrive unopened, unread, and intact. When it doesn’t, the Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service®, aggressively investigates mail theft.

HOW TO PREVENT MAIL AND PACKAGE THEFT

Identity Theft

The Postal Inspection Service works with local, state, and federal agencies to investigate identity theft, arrest and prosecute criminals who steal identities, and prevent consumers from being victimized.

Learn More About Identity Theft

Mail Fraud

The Postal Inspection Service investigates any scheme that uses the U.S. Mail® to obtain money or something of value by offering a product, service, or investment that intentionally does not live up to its claim.

READ MORE ABOUT MAIL FRAUD AND PREVENTION

Fraud Prevention and Education

Informing and educating consumers about fraud schemes involving the mail is an important element of the Postal Inspection Service mission. We educate people through alert segments for local news programs, print publications, television programs, and social media, and by connecting with community groups.

Suspicious Mail

The Postal Inspection Service is specially trained to respond to suspicious mailings, including suspicious substances, suspicious items, and suspected explosive devices. We also conduct rigorous investigations into threatening communications to government officials, religious organizations, foreign embassies, news media, and other targeted individuals and groups.

Learn More About Suspicious Mail

Disaster Response

When a disaster threatens a community, Postal Inspectors and Postal Police Officers play a key role in safeguarding our employees, our facilities, and the mail. Inspector-led emergency response teams are essential to restoring mail service and a sense of normalcy for USPS® employees and customers.

Money Laundering

The Postal Inspection Service is one of several federal agencies with authority to investigate the laundering of illicit proceeds. Illegally obtained proceeds may include those gained through narcotics sales, the selling of counterfeit merchandise, mail fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement, and human trafficking.

Cybercrime

The cybercrime unit of the Postal Inspection Service provides investigative, forensic, and analytical support to the Inspection Service field divisions and the USPS®. This unit facilitates the identification, disruption, and dismantling of individuals and organizations that use the mail or USPS online tools to facilitate black market Internet trade or other illegal activities.

SEE HOW TO PREVENT CYBERCRIME

Global Mail Security

The Postal Inspection Service provides training, support materials, and assistance, and sets security standards for posts worldwide as part of the Universal Postal Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations comprising 192 member countries.

Child Exploitation

Specially trained Postal Inspectors investigate crimes related to the sexual exploitation of children nationwide. We were the first federal law enforcement agency to aggressively identify, target, and arrest those who produce and traffic in child pornography over a century ago.

Learn More About Child Safety

Ready to answer the call?

Explore our application and requirements to learn how you can join our mission.

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