The US Postal Service and its local branches are supporting a series of events around the United States this week to help the public avoid fraud, scams and identity theft.
The events form part of this week’s 13th annual National Consumer Protection Week, which runs until March 12, backed up by the USPS Postal Inspection Service and its consumer website, www.deliveringtrust.com.
The USPS and its partners are working to raise awareness of dangers that millions of consumers face from scammers and fraudsters, and how people can protect their privacy and finances.
Top tips from the USPS this year include the philosophy “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”, the fact that banks never email or call to get hold of account numbers or passwords, and advice to steer clear of work-from-home scams.
The campaigns are also pushing good practice like shredding of confidential waste papers and the careful checking of receipts and credit card or bank statements.
Post offices around the US are hosting their own National Consumer Protection Week events, from consumer education shows in Los Angeles to document shredding days in Detroit.
Chief Postal Inspector Guy Cottrell said after last year’s launch of the deliveringtrust.com website, this year would see newspaper, radio and online advertisements to draw public attention to it.
He added: “The Postal Inspection Service has several crime prevention initiatives and public education campaigns. These efforts help to ensure the public’s trust in the US Mail.”
“The more educated consumers can become, the less likely they will fall victim to identity theft and other scams,” said Delores Killette, Postal Service Consumer Advocate. “As in the past, the Postal Service is proud to play a key role in helping consumers stay informed.”
Much of the campaigning revolves around dangers using the internet, with only around 2% of identity crime in the US now involving use of the US Mail.
The USPS is currently facing recommendations from federal agencies to get more directly involved in consumer use of internet communications, building on the public trust in its own brand (see this Post&Parcel story).
Source: James Cartledge, Post&Parcel
Tags: consumer awareness, Fraud, identity theft, US Postal Inspection Service, USA, USPS
