Identity, Risk Assessments/Management

Identity fraud involving USPS address change requests spike

Identity fraud cases at the US Postal Service stemming from the use of the agency's digital tools have risen from 8,857 in 2020 to 23,606 in 2021, with the refundable sum for identity validation services totaling nearly $22 million during the same period, Nextgov reports. The USPS has failed to properly strengthen identity verification controls on the Moversguide page for changing addresses online, which could result in the compromise of sensitive information, a report from the USPS Inspector General revealed. "Ineffective identity verification controls allow bad actors to use Moversguide to facilitate mail and identity theft against Postal Service customers, which could result in a financial loss to customers and negative impact on the Postal Service brand," said the report. However, the findings have been disputed by USPS management, which stressed the presence of "sufficient" identity verification controls for address change requests. Millions of customers could also be affected by stricter identity controls recommended by the OIG, according to the USPS.

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