Hot Topics

Find all you need to know about current hot topics and USPIS efforts to address them. This page will be updated regularly with links to relevant information found throughout uspis.gov.

  • Check Washing

    Have you ever sent a check that was cashed, but the recipient said it never arrived? You may be the victim of check washing.
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  • Counterfeit Stamps

    Don’t Get Stuck with Bogus Stamps
    Are you looking online for a good deal on postage stamps? Is a substantial discount of up to fifty percent off an order of United States Forever® Stamps too good to pass up? If so, keep scrolling, they’re probably counterfeit. To ensure your trusted communication arrives at its destination without delay, the Postal Inspection Service wants you to be aware of–and avoid–phony postage.
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  • Phishing

    Fake USPS Emails
    If you ever receive an email about a package delivery or unpaid online postage charges, be careful. Some postal customers are receiving bogus emails featuring the subject line, “Delivery Failure Notification.” These emails appear to be from the U.S. Postal Service® and include language regarding an unsuccessful attempt to deliver a package. The email will prompt you to confirm your personal delivery information by clicking a button or downloading an attachment, that, when opened, can activate a virus and steal information—such as your usernames, passwords, and financial account information. The Postal Inspection Service is working hard to stop these emails and protect your information.
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    Related Links:

    Phishing is the Most Commonly Used Cyber Attack >>

    Coronavirus Scams: Phishing Emails >>

    Operation PROTECT VETERANS: Phishing Scams >>

    Fake COVID-19 Treatment Website Domains Seized; Used As Tools for Phishing >>

    Two Men Charged With Fraud Involving More Than $1 Million in Unemployment Compensation and the CARES Act >>

     

  • Smishing

    Have you received unsolicited mobile text messages with an unfamiliar or strange web link that indicates a USPS delivery requires a response from you?  If you never signed up for a USPS tracking request for a specific package, then don’t click the link! This type of text message is a scam called smishing.
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    Related Links:

    USPS scam text draws attention to ‘smishing’>>

  • Brushing

    What could be better than opening the mailbox or the front door and finding an unexpected package? We all love surprises and gifts, but when these seemingly harmless free items come from a company or retailer, they may come with a higher cost than you realize. Oftentimes, this kind of unsolicited merchandise is part of a larger brushing scam, which is illegal in the U.S. and many other countries.
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