The Postal Service processed over 36 million change of address requests from the American public over the past 12 months-or roughly 12 percent of the U.S. population. Providing a service that is secure, while convenient to those in even the most remote of areas is a challenge. Electronic alternatives are not only much more convenient for postal customers, they are typically more effective in ensuring that only authorized and validated change-of-address requests are processed. Digital requests can be electronically matched against customers' credentials quickly and efficiently. The Postal Service uses a secondary validation process to confirm the validity of Change of Address Orders filed online. A confirmation and validation letter is sent to customer's old and new address, and the Postal Service places a 5-day hold on mail interception to allow for delivery of the confirmation letter. If a customer did not file a change of address order, the notice received at their home address should alert them and allow them time to dispute the request. When all else fails (and it seldom does) there is a third safeguard in place-although it's not part of a formal process. It's the security measure that detected this fraud-the letter carrier. At least six days a week, 52 weeks a year, nearly 230,000 career letter carriers are serving in communities across the country. They know their customers, as did the carrier in this case-and often go the extra mile helping to safeguard their customers.

- USPIS Headquarters