#ScamBusters: Hackers use USPS feature to steal identities

KRDO is looking into a consumer alert issued by the Secret Service earlier this month after it discovered that scammers are duping people who take advantage of a feature offered by the U.S. Postal Service.

A cyber security watchdog site, Krebs on Security, issued the report explaining the U.S. Secret Service sent out an internal alert on Nov. 6 to warn scammers are manipulating a U.S. Postal Service site.

Here’s how it works.

According to the investigation, the scam is manipulating USPS’s “Informed Delivery feature,” which sends an email to consumers previewing what mail will be delivered that day.

The report indicates hackers are intercepting the mail with the key intent to steal identities.

Krebs reported on the alert that was sent following a major bust in Michigan. The investigation uncovered $400,000 worth of fraudulent charges on random credit cards of users of USPS’s feature. As a result, seven people were arrested for the reported crimes.

USPS responded online with this statement: “The fraud referred to is a matter of identity theft that has already been perpetuated by a criminal. Postal Service customer identities’ are not compromised by using the Informed Delivery feature. Unfortunately, in very few cases, an individual’s identity has already been compromised by a criminal who then has used it to set up an Informed Delivery account.”

If you use USPS’s informed delivery feature and have noticed some strange activity — call the USPS help desk/technical support at 1-800-344-7779.

Want to report a scam?

Email Stephanie.Sierra@KRDO.com directly.