Keeping You Safe from UnhappyHolidays.

Security: It Comes With the Stamp®

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is mandated to protect each one of your special holiday cards and packages. Postal Inspectors, Postal Police Officers, and our specialized support staff work tirelessly to safeguard your gifts and well wishes so they get to their destinations securely. Additionally, the Inspection Service wants you to understand the many ways you can help protect yourself. It is our goal to help keep you safe from having Unhappy Holidays. See our tips below.

Check out the Mail & Package Theft page for ideas to keep your mail and packages safe during the holidays, and throughout the whole year. Mail & Package Theft

Unhappy Holiday Videos

ESPANOL: COMO TENER VACACIONES INFELICES
ESPANOL: FRAUDE DE CORREO
ESPANOL: INFELICES FIESTAS

GET SWINDLED

Don’t do your homework. Scammers use bogus charities and underhanded tactics to fraudulently take money from you -- and away from legitimate charities. Before you donate, check out the charity and look carefully at the name – some phony charities have names closely resembling legitimate ones. Make sure to make your check payable to the organization and not to an individual. And don’t let them pressure you to give money on the spot.

Video: Tip 1 - Get Swindled

GIVE AWAY CASH

Be cavalier with cash. Cash is untraceable. It’s easy to steal, making it a tempting target for thieves. Send money another way, such as a USPS Money Order. If you decide to mail other valuables, make sure they are insured. You can track it through the Postal Service and know when it arrives.

Video: Tip 3 - Give Away Cash

START A FIRE

Remain ignorant of mailing requirements. Sending hazardous items can spark a fire in the mail system or cause someone harm. Certain items and substances should never be mailed. Check to see if your items are prohibited or restricted before going to your local Post Office.

Video: Tip 4 - Start a Fire

NEIGHBORHOOD (UN)WATCH

Adopt a none-of-my-business attitude. Large volumes of mail and packages make postal employees tempting targets for crooks. Keep an eye out for the safety of your mail carriers. The holidays will quickly become unhappy if you see your carrier being robbed, especially if you don’t say something. If you see something suspicious or someone following your carrier, call the police immediately.

Video: Tip 5 - Advertise Your Vacation

IGNORE YOUR DOORS

If you don’t keep an eye on your door and porch, you can be sure the bad guys will. When no one is watching, it is easier for thieves to steal from the porch or even enter your house. If you have a camera system, make sure it’s focused on capturing activity at your front door or mailbox. If you catch thieves in the act of stealing U.S. Mail, save the video and contact the Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.

Video: Tip 6 - Ignore Your Doors

KEEP SECRETS

When you do not report a mail theft or fraud, the crook gets away with the crime. Mail crimes are serious, and reporting it is as easy as a phone call. Don’t keep it a secret. Dial: 1-877-876-2455. You can also report crime by visiting USPIS.gov/Report.

Video: Tip 7 - Keep Secrets

MESS WITH MAIL

If you’re thinking about tampering with or stealing someone’s mail and making their holiday unhappy, don’t. Theft of mail is a federal crime and could land you in jail. Don’t steal and everyone can have a happy holiday.

Video: Tip 8 - Mess with Mail

Unhappy Holidays Tip 8: Mess With Mail

Unhappy Holidays Tip 8: Mess With Mail

There are plenty of ways to have an unhappy holiday. Just try this... Mess with mail. If you’re thinking about tampering with or stealing someone’s mail and making their holiday unhappy, don’t do it. It's a federal crime. Theft of mail will land you in jail.

Unhappy Holidays Tip 7: Keep Secrets

Unhappy Holidays Tip 7: Keep Secrets

There are plenty of ways to have unhappy holidays. Here's another one... Keep secrets. Don't tell anyone. When you fail to report a mail theft or fraud, the crook gets away with the crime.

Unhappy Holidays Tip 6: Ignore Your Doors

Unhappy Holidays Tip 6: Ignore Your Doors

There are plenty of ways to have unhappy holidays. Here's one... Ignore your doors. During the busy holiday season, if you don’t keep an eye on your door and your porch, you can be sure the bad guys will.

Unhappy Holidays Tip 5: Neighborhood (un)Watch

Unhappy Holidays Tip 5: Neighborhood (un)Watch

Want to have an unhappy holiday? Adopt a none-of-my-business attitude. Large volumes of mail and packages make postal employees tempting targets for thieves. If you see something suspicious or someone following your carrier, call 911 immediately.

Unhappy Holidays Tip 4: Start a Fire

Unhappy Holidays Tip 4: Start a Fire

There are plenty of ways to have an unhappy holiday. Just try this... Start a fire. Remain ignorant of mailing requirements. Certain items should never be mailed because they can start a fire in the mail system or harm someone.

Unhappy Holidays Tip 3: Give Away Cash

Unhappy Holidays Tip 3: Give Away Cash

There are plenty of ways you can have an unhappy holiday. Just try this... Give away cash. It's untraceable. It's easy to steal and hard to get back.

Unhappy Holidays Tip 2: Advertise Your Vacation

Unhappy Holidays Tip 2: Advertise Your Vacation

There are plenty of ways to have an unhappy holiday. Here's another... Advertise your vacation. An overflowing mailbox and a pile of packages tell thieves that you are not at home.

Unhappy Holidays Tip 1: Get Swindled

Unhappy Holidays Tip 1: Get Swindled

There are plenty of ways to have an unhappy holiday. Here's one... Get swindled. Scammers use bogus charities and deceptive tactics to steal money from you and away from those who need it.

USPS Operation Santa®


The Postal Inspection Service supports USPS Operation Santa®, the one-hundred-year-old Postal program that brings joy to hundreds of children during the holiday season. Learn more about USPS Operation Santa®, and visit the official website to get started.

Security: It Comes With the Stamp®

IN FISCAL YEAR 2022, POSTAL INSPECTORS ARRESTED OVER 1,250 SUSPECTS FOR THEFT OF THE MAIL AND PACKAGES.

Report a Crime

Are you a victim or have you witnessed a mail-related crime? Alert Postal Inspectors to the problem and prevent others from being victimized and having Unhappy Holidays.

Report Now