New technology gives USPS crime-fighting edge

The USPS BSA Compliance Office deems pilot project to test a Web-based GIS application, major success.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) Bank Service Act (BSA) Compliance Office is taking advantage of geographic information system (GIS) technology from ESRI to detect suspicious activity, using sophisticated analysis and mapping to monitor millions of money order transactions across the United States. GIS maps show where suspicious activities may be occurring and link transactional data to reveal potential criminal patterns. Mapping and analysis also help USPS managers make sense of extensive transactional databases and millions of bits of data to ensure they comply with regulations.
The BSA Compliance Office can identify a post office or series of offices that have an unusually high number of suspicious money orders over a certain time period; view money orders that look suspicious, such as a large number of sequentially numbered money orders; or see where unusual money order transactions have occurred. The office can also determine whether a number of money orders have been purchased from numerous locations and have been cashed at a single location. The data is used not only to investigate suspicious activity and apprehend suspects but also to prosecute criminals.
The USPS BSA Compliance Office is looking at ways to further extend its GIS capabilities. It is contemplating integrating the technology into its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) compliance programs and considering how the technology can be used to detect the fraudulent use of debit cards at post offices.