Mail Fraud

Arrived home last Wednesday evening to find a postal change of address in my mail. They were confirming my change of address. Imagine my surprise didn't know that I had moved. There was a phone number to call if I had not requested this to which I immediately called. Appears back on 2/2/16 someone did this on line for a small fee. After speaking with postal inspectors and getting a case number they were going to investigate. The concerning think to me was they were unable to tell me where my mail was going would take them 24-48 hours.

Fast forward to Thursday am went down to our local post office at 7:30 am with LE. Spoke with the clerks in the back found out my mail was going to Albany, Or. Here is where I became a little ****** this clerk has worked there over 20 years and has known us all this time. I asked her didn't you think this strange and only my address not DW. Talk about blank look on her face. So mail stopped only issue is our sorting center is Denver so any mail coming from outside the area wouldn't even hit our town.

Now I'm in major panic mode. Called our credit monitoring service to place alerts, notified all three credit agencies to place fraud alerts for next 90 days and called all credit card companies.

Now here is where it gets interesting since retiring I've been doing part time work for the CO Judicial system and have access to many data bases that aren't available to someone outside LE.

Did a search on the address found out home was vacant and had been for little over a year. Called the broker identified myself informing him probably strangest request he had ever received. After explaining my situation he offered to head immediately over to the residence and check. Called back later had placed a note both insides the box and taped a not to outside of the box. In the mean time I'm calling the post office there again really helpful postmaster was going to drive out and catch the carrier to insure no deliveries made. Later that day after 6pm the broker called me back to say checked the home again and all notes were removed from the box. Appears someone is using this for some type scam.

At this point it's fingers crossed and monitor all activity.

Have you filed your taxes yet? I've been hearing a lot about fraudulent tax returns on the rise.


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As a postal employee, please do not place any blame on the clerks in your small hometown office, they are just following procedure. If this was a legit request and they didn't follow your request, you would be upset about them not following the procedures that you had requested. They have NO way of knowing if the request is legit or a scam. We handle over a million pieces of mail a day, from picking them up, sorting and delivering. Sorry to hear that you got caught up in one of these but lets not blame the clerks behind the counters?!

Here's a question. If someone does file a fraudulent tax return using your info claiming a refund and you actually owe taxes, what then?

"I asked her didn't you think this strange and only my address not DW." I'm sure they did not find it strange. Divorce and separation is nothing new. Also, I have worked out of town for months prior to retirement and had my mail forwarded and not that of the rest of the family. There are many reasons this could happen.

JohnDar said:

Here's a question. If someone does file a fraudulent tax return using your info claiming a refund and you actually owe taxes, what then?

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No doubt you still are obligated to pay the owed taxes on time, even as you are trying to get the IRS to believe you. If you don't pay on time, I have no doubt that after your identity is confirmed, they will happily assess late penalties and interest.

Now here is where it gets interesting since retiring I've been doing part time work for the CO Judicial system and have access to many data bases that aren't available to someone outside LE.

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I certainly understand your concern and am sure this will be sorted out, however if you are not the investigating officer(s) in this action use of LE computer systems by other than LE for the purpose of investigating cases is, in Arizona anyway, and probably in other state a crime. We fire and prosecute police officers for conducting computer searches for their own benefit, be it a crime investigating or not. If it involves the officer personally he/she is not to use the systems for their own investigations.

There are audits conducted by both local LE and the originating agencies (such as the FBI) on those systems on a regular basis and should they find suspicious activity you can be assured they will be following up.

I hope that the Albany, Oregon law enforcement is in the loop on this one. If the notes on the mailbox were removed, most likely the bad guy is waiting somewhere nearby for mail carrier to deliver the mail, and then taking it.
It seems to me that the P.O. charges $1.00 to a credit card to do mail forwarding and changes of address. I wonder if the Postal Inspectors can find and trace that credit card number? Or does the bad guy have access to one of YOUR credit card numbers so that your present and credit card addresses match to do the mail forward request?

Mail yourself an envelope with talc powder in it.... Can't see how that would be crime sending to yourself... If the thief gets it, may send them a message.

If it leaks in the post office that could set off a major hazmat lock down and investigation.

Lynn1130 said:

If it leaks in the post office that could set off a major hazmat lock down and investigation.

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May be a bad idea, but things you feel like doing to crumb bugs.

Roger that!

Some buildings have machines that can sense the real bad stuff but in any building that seeswhite powder leaking from an envelope will be shut down while HAZMAT teams are called in to do a sweep of the entire facility. While I agree that it would be nice to see the look on the scumbag's face she nye opened it, imagine the fear and terror if it happened to an unsuspecting postal employee. Please do not do that.

Naw, a true scumbag would celebrate, grab a straw and start sniffing it up his nose...

All of the investigation was above board both our local LE agency, postal inspectors and the Albany police department are involved. The urgency of the matter was due to judicial documents that were currently in the postal system.

I would also commend the Albany post office after speaking with one of the managers there took the time to drive out to the route and notify the carrier.

At this point based on comments from all parties involved we've covered all bases. We have ALLCLEAR ID they have been notified and their fraud department is monitoring our accounts.

Randy,
One thing you can do to protect yourself further, that you may have done but didn't mention, is contact all three credit reporting agencies and freeze your credit.
No one can pull your credit for the purpose of opening a loan or line of credit without your permission once you contact the 3 agencies and freeze your reports.
Dave

GWRam said:

Randy,
One thing you can do to protect yourself further, that you may have done but didn't mention, is contact all three credit reporting agencies and freeze your credit.
No one can pull your credit for the purpose of opening a loan or line of credit without your permission once you contact the 3 agencies and freeze your reports.
Dave

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GW second thing I did after calling ALLCLEAR. We have a 90 day freeze and will renew again before it expires.

Lynn1130 said:

I certainly understand your concern and am sure this will be sorted out, however if you are not the investigating officer(s) in this action use of LE computer systems by other than LE for the purpose of investigating cases is, in Arizona anyway, and probably in other state a crime. We fire and prosecute police officers for conducting computer searches for their own benefit, be it a crime investigating or not. If it involves the officer personally he/she is not to use the systems for their own investigations.

There are audits conducted by both local LE and the originating agencies (such as the FBI) on those systems on a regular basis and should they find suspicious activity you can be assured they will be following up.

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Same thing in Missouri.

On a side note on tax returns. It did happen to me. Someone filed a tax return in my name and it did cause an issue. I may not like the IRS...but they did rectify the problem and I hope the scum bag went to jail before I found them.