Identity Fraud Up In USPS Change Of Address Requests

A recent report by the USPS Inspector General, found that change of address fraud using an online digital tool provided by the U.S. Postal Service skyrocketed from 2020 to 2021. Cyber thieves use this form of fraud to redirect mail, intercept valuable information and steal the victim’s identity for financial gain.

According to the report, the Postal Service reportedly did not implement stringent enough identity verification controls on its Moversguide page, a website specifically intended to help complete a formal online change of address.

“Identity verification is an important security measure to combat fraud, because it ensures that a person is who they claim to be when performing online transactions,” the report reads. “With data breaches and identity theft on the rise, it is important that businesses ensure that they protect customer information from identity fraud.

“Ineffective identity verification controls allow bad actors to use Moversguide to facilitate mail and identity theft against Postal Service customers, which could result in a financial loss to customers and negative impact on the Postal Service brand,” the report said.

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