How to Report Stolen Mail to USPS

Report mail stolen from your mailbox to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Thieves snatch mailed letters and packages to steal their valuable contents or to obtain personal information that may be useful for identity theft. Federal law authorizes the U.S. Postal Service to investigate mail theft complaints and to arrest suspects. One of its departments, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, carries out this mandate. During the Postal Inspection Service's 2009 fiscal year, postal inspectors arrested 2,214 suspects for mail theft. In the same period, 2,261 suspects arrested in 2009 or earlier were convicted of mail theft charges. The Postal Inspection Service offers mail theft victims two ways to report stolen mail.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet connection
• Printer, optional
• Envelope, optional
• Stamps, optional

Instructions

Online

1. Open the Mail Theft complaint form (see Resources) on the U.S. Postal Inspection Service website.

2. Move the cursor over the appropriate fill-in circle and click to select the specific mail theft problem that you're reporting; choose either "Mail Not Received," "Mail Tampering/Vandalism" or "Mail Received Without Content."

3. Fill in your personal information in the appropriate fields. Use the drop-down menu to indicate how your mail is delivered.

4. Fill in the fields to provide information about the missing piece of mail. Fill in the fields to provide inspectors with information about potential suspects and about any complaints that you've filed with a local law enforcement agency.

5. Click on the "Add Content" button. Use the drop-down menu to select the type of content in the missing mail. Click on the "Add Content" button again if you need to provide additional types.

6. Type in additional relevant details about the missing mail in the Description of Complaints field. Hit the "Submit" button to report your stolen mail.

By Mail

1. Open the Mail Theft complaint form (see Resources) on the U.S. Postal Inspection Service website.

2. Fill in the form, which is identical to the online Mail Theft complaint form. Print out the completed form and, if desired, an additional copy for your records.

3. Place the form in an envelope. Address the envelope to:

   United States Postal Inspection Service

   Criminal Investigations Service Center

   222 S. Riverside Plaza

   Suite 1250

   Chicago, IL 60606-6100

4. Place adequate postage on the envelope and mail it.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact your local law enforcement agency if the stolen mail contains valuable contents. Prompt notification of the theft increases the odds that the authorities will recover the contents and return them to you.

• Contact the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General if you suspect that a U.S. Postal Service employee stole your mail. Its toll-free number for complaints is 1-888-877-7644. This hotline operates Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time.

References

• U.S. Postal Inspection Service: How to Protect Against Thieves
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service: About Us
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Publications -- Annual Report of Investigations
• U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General: Hotline

Resources

• U.S. Postal Inspection Service: File a Mail Theft Complaint (online form)
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Mail Theft Complaint (mail-in form; PDF)
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service: File a Complaint
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service: Mail Theft
• Legal Information Institute: 18 U.S.C. 1708 -- Theft or Receipt of Stolen Mail Matter Gen­erally