Neither wind, sleet nor hail can stop their appointed rounds. That’s just one reason we trust the U.S. Postal Service.
But mail delivery is fraught with some dangers that are beyond federal control. And that’s why criminals utilize mail fraud schemes to steal your money and information.
According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, “Mail fraudsters frequently relay on the same old tricks. You may even be familiar with some of them.”
“Check fraud continues to be a significant threat across financial institutions,” said Kimberly Reece of the Fraud Prevention Customer Advocacy team at Regions. “Taking steps to secure your payments in the mail can help protect you from this fraud trend.”
At Regions Bank, our goal is to help keep you safe through better education. The best way to fight mail fraud is through consistency and common sense.
Stolen checks, bank statements, invoices and credit card mailers all provide information valuable to criminals, and that continues to be a nationwide issue. Jeff Taylor, Regions’ head of Commercial Fraud Forensics
6 Tips to Prevent Mail Fraud
- Pick up your mail daily. Don’t leave mail in your mailbox overnight.
- Use the vacation hold option or ask a trusted friend to pick up your mail for you.
- Avoid placing mail in the blue USPS boxes after the last pickup of the day.
- Take your mail inside to your local US Post Office.
- Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery. This service emails images of mail scheduled to be delivered to you each day. To sign up go to https://www.usps.com/manage/informed-delivery.htm
- Convert payments to digital payment platforms.
March is Fraud Awareness Month, but at Doing More Today we fight against fraud all year long.
Just remember, the convenience and dependability of mail are something we all rely on. But bad actors try to utilize it for all the wrong reasons.
“Stolen checks, bank statements, invoices and credit card mailers all provide information valuable to criminals, and that continues to be a nationwide issue,” said Jeff Taylor, Regions’ head of Commercial Fraud Forensics. “Take appropriate steps to protect your mail and convert your payments to digital alternatives.”
Additional information from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Additional Resources from Regions.com
Related Articles from Doing More Today
The information presented is general in nature and should not be considered, legal, accounting or tax advice. Regions reminds its customers that they should be vigilant about fraud and security and that they are responsible for taking action to protect their computer systems. Fraud prevention requires a continuous review of your policies and practices, as the threat evolves daily. There is no guarantee that all fraudulent transactions will be prevented or that related financial losses will not occur. Visit regions.com/STOPFRAUD or speak with your Banker for further information on how you can help prevent fraud.