USPS Suggests How To Protect Yourself From Fraud

The United States Postal Service helps provide information about how to prevent yourself from becoming a fraud victim. The first step is to keep yourself and your computer on the lookout. Be sure that your spam filters and antivirus software are installed and updated. When trying to protect yourself from any kind of fraud (not only online), it is important to watch out for anything that sounds too good to be true. Along the same lines, make sure that it has the appearance of a real business. This is especially important when it involves money --- don’t send money to a company you don’t know or provide your banking information through phone or e-mail. Faulty links are also present in most phishing scams, so rather than clicking them, type them into the address bar yourself.


Other preventative measures that are helpful are checking your monthly statements and also reviewing your credit report at least once a year. Check for accuracy or any charges that you don't recognize. Be sure to shred any unwanted documents that contain personal information.

If you do find yourself a victim of fraud, it is important to report the crime in order to prevent it from happening to others. This includes contacting the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and/or the Federal Trade Commission. Continue to share your experience with friends and family to help them from being vulnerable to the same scams.

To learn more, visit the USPS site.