Change of Address? USPS Will Confirm
After I wrote about identity fraud that is perpetrated through the U.S. Postal Service, a reader said his friend's angry ex-girlfriend changed his address without his knowledge. I found it hard to believe such a feat was possible. If fraudsters could change people's addresses at will, then it could cause all kinds of problems, including missed bills, identity fraud, and major headaches.
Luckily, it's not so easy to mess with the mail. I asked Doug Bem of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to explain how address changes are monitored. His words should be reassuring to people with angry exes in their life. He says:
- Customers can file change-of-address orders online at usps.com or by telephone using a credit card, or with a paper form that requires a signature. All methods require some form of identity verification.
- Once that form is filled out, the Postal Service mails a "move validation letter" to the original address. It doesn't contain the forwarding address, but it gives the recipient a number to call (800 275-8777) if there is any problem. A letter is also sent to the new address within 10 days.
- Over 40 million change-of-address requests are filed each year, and the fraudulent ones amount to less than a tenth of 1 percent, according to the Postal Service. The Postal Inspection Service investigates any fraud claims.
- Rather than going through the Postal Service, identity thieves often instead change addresses directly with vendors, banks, and other financial institutions. So if you haven't received a bill or statement lately, make sure you contact your institution.
Tags: Postal Service | identity theft
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Reader Comments
Mail changes
Perhaps complete research before the article was written would have made for a more truthful and accurate informational article. Print media has gotten away from that and must return if they are to thrive.
USPS is not telling the truth.
"All methods require some form of identity verification"
That is not true. Filling out a card and putting it in the mail is all one has to do. No ID is checked.
"A letter is also sent to the new address within 10 days."
This does not protect the consumer. It needs to be sent to the old address that is no longer getting its mail.
My Responses
I am not sure what the first commenter is referring to re: complete research; I was simply answering a reader's question in this post.
Re: Robert's comment. As it says in the post, before the sentence quoted, a letter is sent to the original address, as well. And the identity verification for the mailed-in forms is the signature. Since this can be forged, the verifications are sent to both the new and old addresses.
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