How to Report Mail Fraud

The Office of the Postmaster General/Inspector General investigates and prosecutes crimes involving the U.S. mail, including mail fraud. If a violation is found, Postal Inspectors may take legal action against the offender. However, they cannot retrieve your money or demand changes or removal of fraudulent materials unless they were sent through the U.S. mail. Follow the steps below to report mail fraud.

Part1 Recognizing Mail Fraud

1. Recognize mail fraud.

Mail fraud involves a scheme to defraud that utilizes the U.S. mail to carry out the fraudulent activities. While the scheme can begin in any form, such as online or through other media, it becomes mail fraud when the U.S. mail is involved. If you’re asked to mail information or if you provide an address and receive fraudulent materials, it qualifies as mail fraud. ¹

🔹 What Constitutes Mail Fraud?

Learn more about how mail fraud works on the USPS Mail Fraud page.

2. Know common mail fraud schemes.

Some common types of mail fraud include:

Phony job opportunities
Advance-fee loan scams
Foreign lottery schemes by mail ²

🔹 Common Examples of Mail Fraud

Visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Fraud page for a more detailed overview of common fraud schemes.

3. Save evidence of mail fraud.

To report mail fraud, you must have received the fraudulent materials through the U.S. Postal Service. Keep all documents and items you received, including the envelope or box in which they were mailed. If you no longer have the items, you can still report the fraud. ³

🔹 Importance of Preserving Evidence

Check out the USPS Postal Inspection Fraud Resources for more information on how to preserve evidence.

References

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Footnotes

Source: USPS Postal Inspectors – Fraud ↩
Source: Federal Trade Commission ↩
Source: USPS Postal Inspection Fraud Resources ↩

Part2 Reporting Mail Fraud

1. Determine where you want to report mail fraud.

You can report mail fraud either locally or federally, depending on your preference. Both options are valid for filing a complaint, and it’s up to you to choose which route works best. ¹

🔹 Local vs. Federal Reporting

For more guidance on choosing where to report, visit USPS Postal Inspectors.

2. Report mail fraud locally.

You can contact the Postmaster General at your local post office to report mail fraud. The contact information for your local office can be found on the USPS Postmaster Finder page. ²

🔹 Find Local Contact Information

For specific local contact details, visit the Postmaster Finder.

3. Report mail fraud federally.

To report mail fraud at the federal level, you can call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) or fill out and submit the complaint form online via the USPS Fraud Complaint Form. ³

🔹 Federal Reporting Resources

For more details on filing a federal complaint, check the USPS Postal Inspection Fraud page.

4. Make the report.

When making a report, you will need to provide information about both yourself and the fraudulent activity. Please note that mail fraud cannot be reported anonymously. You can file a report either by telephone or by completing the online complaint form. Here’s what you’ll need to provide: ⁴

Your full name and contact details
The name of the person or organization you suspect is committing mail fraud
Contact information for the suspected offender
A detailed description of the fraudulent activity
Information about how the U.S. mail was involved in the fraud

🔹 Information Needed for Filing

For a step-by-step guide, visit the USPS Complaint Process page.

References

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Footnotes

Source: USPS Postal Inspectors – Report Fraud ↩
Source: USPS Postmaster Finder ↩
Source: USPS Fraud Complaint Form ↩
Source: USPS Postal Inspection Fraud Resources ↩

Part3 Getting Back Lost Money

1. Know the limits of the USPS.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) cannot recover any lost money for you. Depending on the specific circumstances, you might not be able to retrieve any of your money at all. ¹

🔹 USPS Limitations

For more on USPS services and limits, visit USPS Postal Inspection Fraud Resources.

2. Contact your bank.

If you wrote a check to the fraudsters, get in touch with your bank to check if the check has cleared. If the check is still pending, your bank may be able to issue a “stop payment” order, which could prevent the check from being cashed or deposited. ²

🔹 Preventing Payment

Contact your bank as soon as possible to initiate a stop payment on the check and avoid further losses.

3. Contact your credit card company.

If the perpetrators gained access to your credit card, call your credit card company immediately. The company may be able to reverse the charges for you. ³
You typically have up to 60 days from the discovery of the fraud to notify your credit card provider in writing about the dispute. Make sure to follow up your phone call with a written notice.

🔹 Disputing Charges

For detailed instructions on disputing charges, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Credit Card Fraud page.

4. Contact the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or similar organization.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a voluntary organization that can help resolve disputes, especially with businesses that are members of the BBB. Even non-member businesses sometimes respond to a BBB challenge. ⁴
Other organizations that may be able to assist include:

State consumer protection divisions
Local chambers of commerce
State or local licensing agencies

🔹 Alternative Dispute Resolution Resources

Learn more about the BBB at www.bbb.org.

5. Contact an attorney.

If the perpetrator is located and served with legal papers, it may be worth considering filing a lawsuit. Many attorneys offer free consultations to assess whether legal action is viable. ⁵

🔹 Legal Action and Consultation

For more details on finding an attorney, visit FindLaw’s Lawyer Directory.

References

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Footnotes

Source: USPS Postal Inspectors ↩
Source: Federal Reserve – Stop Payment Orders ↩
Source: FTC – Credit Card Fraud ↩
Source: Better Business Bureau ↩
Source: FindLaw – Legal Advice ↩