Fake USPS Informed Delivery Phishing Scam
Scammers clone the USPS Informed Delivery enrolment flow to steal Government credentials and personal data. Victims who sign up for the fake service instead hand over their details to criminals who may then hijack the real Informed Delivery account to monitor incoming mail.
Part of: Phishing
Last reviewed: 7 June 2026
USPS Informed Delivery is a popular free service that emails subscribers daily grayscale scans of their incoming letter-size mail. Scammers exploit the service's reputation by creating fake Informed Delivery enrolment pages that mimic the USPS.com signup process.
The goal is twofold: harvest the login credentials the victim creates (which may be reused on other sites), and potentially gather enough identity data to register for the real Informed Delivery service in the victim's name — giving the criminal a window into the victim's physical mail. This enables further fraud, such as intercepting financial documents.
Real Informed Delivery enrolment is only at usps.com/informeddelivery. The service requires identity verification through USPS's identity-proofing process, not a simple email link sign-up.
How this scam works on the USPS brand
Phishing emails claim: 'USPS Informed Delivery: Track every piece of mail before it arrives. Sign up now: [link].' The link opens a cloned sign-up page collecting name, address, email, and a password — plus sometimes identity verification details like date of birth and the last four digits of SSN.
Other variants target existing Informed Delivery users with 'your account needs re-verification to continue receiving daily digest emails,' harvesting existing credentials.
Armed with these details, a criminal can register for the real USPS Informed Delivery service at the victim's address, allowing them to see what mail is coming before it arrives — including tax documents, benefit statements, bank letters, and identity documents.
Common red flags
- Unsolicited email promoting Informed Delivery enrolment via a link
- Sign-up link does not go to usps.com
- Form asks for SSN digits, date of birth, or government ID during 'enrolment'
- Re-verification request for an Informed Delivery account via a link
- Email address is not from @usps.com or @email.usps.com
- Enrolment page does not include the USPS identity-proofing verification step
- Page asks you to create a password on a site that is not usps.com
How to protect yourself
- Enrol in real Informed Delivery only at usps.com/informeddelivery
- Check whether someone has enrolled in Informed Delivery at your address by going through the official enrolment at usps.com
- Use a unique password for your USPS.com account not used on other sites
- Report any suspected fraudulent Informed Delivery enrolment to the USPIS
- Enable two-step verification on your usps.com account
How to report it
- Report Informed Delivery fraud to the USPIS at postalinspectors.uspis.gov or 1-877-876-2455
- File a complaint with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
- Forward smishing texts to 7726
- Report phishing pages to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at [email protected]
- Report identity theft at identitytheft.gov
Frequently asked questions
What is USPS Informed Delivery?
Informed Delivery is a free USPS service that emails you grayscale images of incoming letter-size mail each morning before delivery. It is enroled at usps.com/informeddelivery with identity verification.
Can a criminal enrol Informed Delivery at my address?
If a criminal has sufficient personal information, they could attempt to register for Informed Delivery at your address. You can check for unauthorised enrolments and report them to the USPIS.