To report mail theft, file a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) online at uspis.gov/report or by phone at 1-877-876-2455, then file a separate incident report with your local police department. The federal report opens a criminal investigation under 18 U.S.C. § 1708; the local police report gives you the documentation your insurer, bank, or credit card company will ask for. Both reports are worth filing, and they serve different purposes.
First, Decide Whether Your Mail Was Stolen or Just Delayed
Not every missing envelope or package is a theft. If an item is simply late, stuck in transit, or appears to have been misdelivered, the right starting point is the USPS Missing Mail search tool at MissingMail.USPS.com. You enter the item details, and USPS searches its system for a match. That is a customer-service function, not a criminal complaint.
Go straight to a USPIS theft report instead when you see signs someone took the mail: a pried-open or damaged mailbox, torn packaging discarded near your property, security camera footage of someone removing items, or a pattern of things disappearing from your address. The Postal Inspection Service is a federal law enforcement agency, and its report form is the one that triggers an investigation.
One boundary worth knowing before you file. Federal mail theft law covers items in the postal system’s custody, including a package a USPS carrier has left in your mailbox or at your door. Packages delivered by UPS, FedEx, Amazon’s own delivery service, or another private carrier fall outside 18 U.S.C. § 1708 and are handled under state theft laws, so those go to local police rather than USPIS.
What to Gather Before You File
A complete report gives investigators more to work with and prevents you from having to circle back later. Pull the following together first:
- Tracking numbers from the shipper’s confirmation email or the USPS tracking page for any missing packages.
- Expected delivery dates, plus the date you noticed the item was missing.
- A description of each item and its estimated dollar value, which you may also need for insurance or restitution.
- Photos of any physical evidence: damage to your mailbox, opened or discarded packaging, or security camera footage.
- Sender information for each missing piece, since investigators may need to confirm the item was actually mailed.
If the stolen mail contained financial or identifying information, make a separate list of exactly what was in it: bank statements, credit cards, tax documents, medical records, Social Security correspondence, pre-approved credit offers. You will need that list again when you contact the credit bureaus and the FTC.
How to File with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
USPIS accepts mail theft reports two ways:
- Online at uspis.gov/report. The form walks you through the details you gathered above.
- By phone at 1-877-876-2455.
Either method opens a federal investigation. When you finish, save the confirmation number the system gives you. You will use it to check on the case and to hand to the local police officer taking your second report. USPIS also uses individual complaints to spot patterns across routes and neighborhoods, so a single missing package can end up connecting to a larger investigation already underway.
Keep the theft report distinct from the mail fraud complaint form (PS Form 8165). The fraud form is for schemes conducted through the mail, such as a fake sweepstakes or a fraudulent invoice. If someone physically took your mail, the theft report is the correct one.
How to File with Local Police
Call your local police department’s non-emergency line, or go to the nearest station, and ask to file an incident report for mail theft. Bring the evidence you collected and the USPIS confirmation number so the officer can note the federal case alongside the local one. Ask for a copy of the completed report and the report number before you leave.
That report number matters because third parties will ask for it. Homeowner’s and renter’s insurance policies typically require a police report before paying a claim on a stolen package. If the stolen mail contained financial documents or cards, your bank or card issuer may want the report number before it will issue fraud alerts or replacements. You may need to hand the same report to several institutions, so having a copy in hand is easier than requesting one later.
When You Suspect a Postal Employee
If you believe a postal worker is the one taking or destroying your mail, the complaint goes to a different agency: the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG), which investigates misconduct by postal employees and contractors. File through the OIG hotline at hotlineform.uspsoig.gov, or send a written complaint to the OIG at 1735 N. Lynn Street, Arlington, VA 22209-2020.
Theft by a postal employee is covered by its own federal statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1709, and an OIG investigation can lead to criminal charges as well as termination and internal discipline.
If Personal Information Was in the Stolen Mail
Reporting the theft is only part of the response when the stolen items contained anything a thief could use to impersonate you. Move on these steps the same day if you can.
Freeze Your Credit
A credit freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. Place one with each of the three major bureaus:
- Equifax: equifax.com or 1-800-349-9960
- Experian: experian.com or 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion: transunion.com or 1-888-909-8872
The freeze is free to place and free to lift, and it does not affect your credit score. It stays on until you remove it. When you apply for credit later, you can temporarily lift the freeze at the bureau the lender uses and put it back afterward.
File an Identity Theft Report with the FTC
If you have reason to think someone is already using your information, report it at IdentityTheft.gov or by calling 1-877-438-4338. The FTC generates an Identity Theft Report and a personalized recovery plan covering the specific accounts and records you need to address. That report also gives you certain legal rights when you dispute fraudulent charges and deal with debt collectors, so keep a copy alongside your USPIS confirmation number and local police report.
Together, those three documents (the USPIS report, the police report, and, where relevant, the FTC Identity Theft Report) are what banks, insurers, and creditors will ask you to produce. Filing all of them promptly is the fastest way to shut down the loss and put the investigation on solid footing.