Junk Mail Magic

Choose between mail-fraud and delivery support routes

Report suspected mail fraud, mail theft or mail-related identity theft to USPIS. Take delivery service problems to the separate USPS route. To choose, ask whether something arrived that tried to mislead you or whether expected mail failed to arrive properly.

By Junk Mail Magic. Updated .

Sorting the problem

  1. Describe what happened in one sentence. Mail that never arrived, arrived late or arrived damaged points to delivery. Mail that arrived and asked for money on claims you doubt points to a fraud report.
  2. Consider theft. USPIS accepts reports of mail theft, so if you have a specific reason to believe an item was taken rather than delayed, the USPIS route may fit better than delivery support.
  3. Gather what fits your case, such as the envelope, postmark, dates, any tracking number, and the mailer with its request.
  4. Submit through the matching route and keep a dated note of what you sent and where.

Two cases compared

Case one: a monthly statement you expect stops arriving. Nothing misleading reached you, so start with the USPS delivery route. Also confirm with the company that sends the statement that it is still being mailed to the correct address.

Case two: a postcard says you won a prize and must pay a fee to collect it. The postcard arrived as expected, and the problem is what it asks you to do. That fits a suspected mail fraud report to USPIS. Keep the card and the envelope.

Ordinary advertising you simply don't want fits neither route. That calls for a removal request to the sender, not a report.

Route-picking worksheet

Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.

What happened, in one sentence: [summary] Expected mail missing, late or damaged: [yes/no] Mail arrived asking for money or details on a claim I doubt: [yes/no] Reason to think mail was stolen or my identity misused: [yes/no, reason] Route used and date: [USPIS or USPS delivery, date] Evidence kept: [envelope, dates, tracking number, mailer]

When both seem to apply

If your notes show both a delivery problem and a deceptive request, submit each through its own route. One report does not cover the other.

Official source

Treat missing or stolen mail as a separate problemPrepare a clear USPS service inquiryPreserve a mailer after you paid a suspected scamSuspicious mailAll practical mail guides

Keep personal records with the organization that handles them

Junk Mail Magic is for ordinary unwanted advertising. Use the official contact route in this guide for records, account changes or someone else’s correspondence.

Compare removal routes