New rules for mail addressed to commercial mail receiving agencies were adopted last week by the U.S. Postal Service to combat identity theft and fraud. They go into effect on April 24.
Copies of the new rules are being sent to direct marketers, catalogers, coupon, credit card issuers, and law enforcement agencies, Chief Postal Inspector Kenneth Hunter said Thursday at a Washington news conference announcing the change.
He explained that the new rules are designed to plug loopholes in existing regulations to prevent “unscrupulous individuals from relying on or using commercial mail receiving agencies to bilk” consumers. A broad coalition of law enforcement, business and industry groups, including the Direct Marketing Association, support the change, he added.
The USPS and the Government Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, estimate that consumers lose some $40 million a year through of identity theft and mail fraud.
Private mailboxes renters will be required under the new rules to provide the renting agency with photo identification, such as a driver’s license, passport, government or “recognized corporate identification card, and verification that they either live or conduct business at the address they give at the time of the rental.
They are also required to write the letters “PMB” or the words “PRIVATE MAIL BOX” and the number of their mailbox on the second line of their mailing address similar to the standard post office box address on regular mail. Hunter said the USPS will not deliver mail without a PMB number.
Commercial mail receivers are required to provide an alphabetical list of their customers and former customers every three months to their local postmasters under the new rules.
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