Postal inspectors provide valuable tips for holiday package safety

WASHINGTON – As the holiday shipping season is here, the United
States Postal Inspection Service advises everyone mailing gifts to
become educated and play their part to ensure their special packages
arrive to their destination safely.

Here are a few tips to consider this holiday season:

*
Don’t leave your delivered mail and packages unattended. Packages left
on front porches and in mailboxes are a tempting target for thieves.
Don’t help them by making sure you bring all packages inside your home
in a timely manner.

* Going out of town? Hold your mail at the
post office. Sign up for Hold Mail service on usps.com if you plan on
being away from home for a few days. Your letters and packages will be
held securely at your post office until you pick them up or request they
be delivered to your home.

* Plan ahead and ship packages using
Hold for Pickup. If you are sending packages, you can choose the Hold
for Pickup option on usps.com. The packages will be safely held at the
recipient’s local post office until they can pick it up. If you are
expecting a package, you can redirect it to your post office by
selecting Hold for Pickup using Intercept a Package under Track &
Manage on usps.com.

* Customize the delivery. If you are expecting
something you know will not fit in your mailbox and you won’t be home
to receive it, you can authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified
location. Visit usps.com, enter the tracking number in Track a Package,
and select Delivery Instructions.

* Secure the shipment using USPS
Special Services. Signature Confirmation helps ensure the package ends
up in the right hands by requiring a first initial and last name at the
time of delivery. For your most valuable packages, you can opt for
Registered Mail service. Registered Mail receives special handling from
the time it’s mailed until the time it’s delivered.

* Monitor your
front door. If you have a home security camera system and you catch any
mail thieves in the act, save the video and contact the Postal
Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.

For more package security and other related tips, visit www.uspis.gov.

About
the U.S. Postal Inspection Service: The U.S. Postal Inspection Service
is the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency. It supports and
protects the U.S. Postal Service and its employees, infrastructure and
customers; it enforces the laws that defend the nation’s mail system
from illegal or dangerous use; and it ensures public trust in the mail.
Over 2,400 postal inspectors, postal police, technical and
administrative people are spread out over 17 divisions and the national
headquarters in Washington. For more information, visit www.uspis.gov,
and follow us on Twitter (@USPISpressroom), Facebook
(@Postalinspectors), and Instagram (@postalinspectors).