Identity Theft 

Safeguard your 

personal information

Publication 280

August 2020
Identity Theft, Safeguard Your Personal Information United States Postal Inspection Service

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The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is the federal law 

enforcement branch of the U.S. Postal Service®, with 

primary jurisdiction in all matters infringing on the 

integrity of the U.S. Mail. The mission of the Postal 

Inspection Service is to protect the U.S. Postal Service, 

its employees, and its customers from criminal attack, 

and protect the nation’s mail system from criminal misuse. 

The Postal Inspection Service has a long, proud, and 

successful history of fighting the criminals who attack 

our nation’s postal system and those who misuse it to 

defraud, endanger, or otherwise threaten the American 

public.

What is identity theft?

Identity theft occurs when a criminal 

steals key pieces of information to gain 

access to a person’s financial accounts. 

This information could include a name, 

address, date of birth, Social Security 

number, or mother’s maiden name. 

Armed with this information, an identity 

thief may open new credit or financial 

accounts, buy cars, apply for loans 

or Social Security benefits, rent an 

apartment, or set up utility and phone 

service — in someone else’s name. 

Information in this guide comes from 

the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the 

U.S. Secret Service, financial and retail 

industries, and other members of the 

Financial Industry Mail Security Initiative 

(FIMSI). 

Identity theft 

affects millions of 

Americans each 

year. The U.S. 

Postal Inspection 

Service is the 

lead agency in 

investigating 

incidents of 

identity theft.
United States Postal Inspection Service Identity Theft, Safeguard Your Personal Information

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Identity theft is 

a criminal offense. 

It occurs when a person 

knowingly transfers or 

uses, without lawful 

authority, a means of 

identification of another 

person with the intent to 

commit or to aid or abet 

any unlawful activity that 

constitutes a violation 

of federal law or that 

constitutes a felony under 

any applicable state or 

local law.

— Identity Theft and Assumption 

Deterrence Act, 18 USC 1028(a)(7)

Add these tips to your “must do” list to 

protect your identity:

1. Deposit outgoing mail at a Post Office or a blue U.S. 

Postal Service collection box, or give it directly to your 

letter carrier. 

2. Shred unwanted documents that contain personal 

information before discarding them. 

3. Review your consumer credit reports annually.

4. Never give personal information over the phone or the 

Internet unless you initiated the contact. 

Postal Inspectors also offer these tips 

for ID theft protection:

■ Order your free credit report once a year from each 

credit bureau to check for accuracy and fraud use. You 

can order it online at annualcreditreport.com or by 

calling 1-877-322-8228.

■ Report lost or stolen credit cards to the issuer 

immediately.

■ Sign your new credit cards — before someone else 

does.

■ Memorize your Social Security number and 

passwords; don’t carry them with you. Don’t use your 

date of birth as your password.

■ Never leave receipts behind — at ATMs, on counters 

at financial institutions, or at gasoline pumps.

■ Check expiration dates on credit cards and contact 

the issuer if you don’t get a replacement before 

they expire. The same goes for monthly financial 

statements and bills.
Identity Theft, Safeguard Your Personal Information United States Postal Inspection Service

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■ Match credit card receipts against monthly bills and 

check financial statements for accuracy.

If you suspect your identity has been 

stolen, take action:

■ If the crime involved the U.S. Mail, report it 

online to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 

https://www.uspis.gov, or call 1-877-876-2455.

■ If the crime involved counterfeit credit cards or 

computer hacking, report it to the U.S. Secret Service 

at www.secretservice.gov.

■ Check whether the major credit reporting agencies 

have accounts in your name that were opened without 

your consent. Ask them to place a “fraud alert” on 

your file. 

■ You may be advised to close some or all of your 

accounts. At the least, change your PIN codes and 

passwords immediately. 

■ Keep a record of the names and phone numbers of 

people with whom you discussed your case, and of all 

reports and supporting documents. 

■ Report ID theft online with the Federal Trade 

Commission at www.identitytheft.gov, or call its 

Identity Theft Hotline at 1-877-ID-THEFT. The FTC 

has counselors to help you resolve financial and other 

problems that can result from this crime.
United States Postal Inspection Service Identity Theft, Safeguard Your Personal Information

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Keep your personal information safe from 

online prowlers. Here’s how:

The Internet offers a convenient way to conduct business. 

To ensure you use it safely, never input your credit card 

or other financial account numbers at a Web site unless

it offers a secure transaction. A secure (or “encrypted”) 

transaction will have these two features:

1. An icon of a lock appears in the bottom strip of the 

Web browser page.

2. The URL address for the Web page changes from 

“http” to “https” for the page at which you input the 

personal data.

Report credit card fraud to one of the major credit 

reporting agencies, either online or by phone. (You can 

report the incident to any of the three agencies, as they 

share a common database.)

Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

www.equifax.com

Experian: 1-888-397-3742

www.experian.com

TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

www.transunion.com

Everyone with a Social 

Security number is at risk 

of identity theft. Learn 

how to protect yourself.
Identity Theft, Safeguard Your Personal Information United States Postal Inspection Service

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Visit these Web sites for more information 

on ID theft:

U.S. Postal Inspection Service: 

http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov

Federal Trade Commission: 

www.consumer.gov/idtheft

U.S. Secret Service: 

www.secretservice.gov

Department of Justice: 

www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/websites/idtheft.html

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: 

www.fdic.gov/consumers

Web sites for credit card companies:

American Express: 

www.americanexpress.com

Discover: 

www.discover.com

MasterCard:

www.mastercard.us

Visa: 

www.usa.visa.com
United States Postal Inspection Service Identity Theft, Safeguard Your Personal Information

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Other publications with information on ID 

theft:

ID Theft: When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name

Federal Trade Commission

1-877-ID-Theft 

Identity Theft

Federal Reserve Bank of Boston

1-800-409-1333

For more information about the U.S. Postal Inspection 

Service, call toll-free 1-877-876-2455, or visit our Web site 

at uspis.gov.

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Publication 280

August 2020

PSN 7610-05-000-0653