Beware of Change of Address Scams

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For some people, opening an empty mailbox can be a relief—not receiving mail is better than receiving junk—but an unusually empty mailbox can actually be a sign of identity theft. In 2021, 36,000 address changes were flagged as suspicious; of these, some have been identified as scams, according to KPRC 2 News: Victims of a scam called change of address scam, which is surprisingly easy to do.

What is a change of address scam?

Having problems with mail? Now the thieves are running a scam with a change of address.

It is common for people to request a change of address from the USPS when they move. USPS offers the service in person, online, or by mail, and they forward your mail from your old address to your new address free of charge for 12 months. (During this time, you must update your new address with these senders).

When this is done online, the address change is verified by two-factor authentication – a code is sent to your phone number to verify your identity and you are asked to provide it. But USPS has far less security for the other two methods of changing your address, especially by mail. There is no two-factor authentication, and it can be done even without an ID, according to Aura , an internet security website. The change of address confirmation form is usually sent to the old and new addresses to confirm the changes, but the victims of the scam claim they did not receive them.

How does change of address scam work?

According to Aura, here’s how the scam works:

  • An identity thief finds out your contact information such as your full name and address. They can find it by stealing your mail or buying basic information online. You can see if your account or personal information is exposed to hackers with Aura’s Dark Web Scanner .
  • This person (or contributors) mails the USPS Address Change Form through the US Postal Service because mail-in attachments do not require verification.
  • The scammers redirect your email to a new email address that they have access to.
  • They open your mail and get access to your bank statements, driver’s license renewals and other sensitive information that they can use to rob you or commit various financial crimes on your behalf.

Consider buying a mail shredder to avoid mail scams:

Some signs of a change of address scam

You can watch out for some of these red flags for change of address scams:

  • You receive a change of address confirmation that you never submitted
  • You suddenly stop receiving mail
  • You see an unexpected charge of $1.05 from USPS on your account statement.
  • Your credit card billing address has changed unexpectedly
  • You receive notifications of new accounts in your name

You can avoid many of these problems by signing up for paperless billing. Also, sign up for “informed delivery” at USPS (it’s free) where you can see a photo of your mail before it arrives. However, if you see these red flags, you should do something sooner rather than later.

What to do if you suspect change of address scam

If you encounter any of the above red flags and suspect change of address scam, please go to the USPS website and follow the steps to dispute . You must also:

  • Contact your local US Postal Inspection Office .
  • If you cannot find your local office phone number, contact the United States General Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 (press 4 for mail fraud).
  • Take notes of your suspicions and share as much information as you can to help the postal inspectors.

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