Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

krebsonsecurity.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 135 posts

Re: U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

#91

Post by kbenson »

jeffmould wrote: post #82
Someone1234 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People love repeating this for some reason, but mail crime is under-funded, rarely investigated, and even more rarely enforced. Realistically if you tamper with mail nothing at all will happen to you, until your fraud raises to a headline figure and could get someone a promotion.

Interesting you say this as I had heard similar stories of underfunded mail crime investigations in the past. However, where I live is a very seasonal location. Population goes from 10000+ over the summer to under 1000 during the winter months. Several years ago a couple people in the community noticed problems with their mail (mail seemingly missing, receiving wrongly addressed items, etc..). They called the postal…

> They called the postal service and an investigator was out in days.

Even underfunded agencies can prioritize. A call notifying them of a problem is a world of difference than them identifying and pursuing issues on their own.

Just like how an underfunded police department may not patrol all the areas they should, but if you call them to notify them of a crime, an officer will likely show up at some point. Even if the officer shows up quite a bit later, the relative difference to when an officer might stumble across that area, much less evidence of the crime, is probably somewhat comparable.

Re: U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

#92

Post by danso »

Someone1234 wrote: post #54
tinus_hn wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Note that tampering with the mail, even if there are little technical limitations, is a federal crime that carries pretty severe penalties.

People love repeating this for some reason, but mail crime is under-funded, rarely investigated, and even more rarely enforced. Realistically if you tamper with mail nothing at all will happen to you, until your fraud raises to a headline figure and could get someone a promotion.

People love stating this fact because it's likely most people are surprised the law allows for such severe serious penalties for what might seem like a petty infraction. What you've said about underfunded enforcement and rare investigations could be said about almost every other type of non-violent crime.

Re: U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

#93

Post by UncleEntity »

macintux wrote: post #36
ams6110 wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can forward someone else's mail too. Just go to the post office, fill out the form, and drop it in the mailbox. There's no verification, though there is notification at both the old and the new address. Not to mention it's a crime to do that.

It struck me how easy it would be to get someone else's social security card this way: with the information from the Equifax breach, you have all the data you need to request a replacement card online, and by forwarding their mail you can get the card when it arrives.

Apply for a replacement card and wait seven months for it to arrive is more like it...

That's my experience after hand delivering the form to the SS office so it would be quick.

Re: U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

#94

Post by jimison »

3pt14159 wrote: post #49
shimon wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a great perspective but it's important to remember your sample bias -- you're only making judgments about the offender you've identified. Or more snarkily, you've only caught the people dumber than you. When you're talking about basic attacks to steal some money, this is a substantial but not world-changing effect. On the other hand, a government or cartel willing to invest significant resources in cyber offe…

Yes, but they don't put their crack team on most stuff. Have you read the Snowden leaks? The actual raw content? It's pretty tame shit. My main takeaway was ahh, yes the world is as insecure as I thought it was not oh, these guys are using space laser technology hacks . They've got crack teams to break into some harder gear, and they've got some crazy awesome cryptanalyses going on, but for most of it it's just what…

> I sat with a whole table of them and watched them fall for a simple social engineering attack one minute after being told they were going to fall for the attack.

Story time?

Re: U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

#95

Post by macintux »

UncleEntity wrote: post #93
macintux wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It struck me how easy it would be to get someone else's social security card this way: with the information from the Equifax breach, you have all the data you need to request a replacement card online, and by forwarding their mail you can get the card when it arrives.

Apply for a replacement card and wait seven months for it to arrive is more like it... That's my experience after hand delivering the form to the SS office so it would be quick.

Took me less than 2 weeks this spring, everything submitted online.

Re: U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

#96

Post by bowlich »

creeble wrote: post #41
EADGBE wrote: post #26

FWIW, the Informed Delivery isn't available everywhere. I tried to sign up and was denied.

Yes, not available at P.O. Boxes afaict too. I wish it were, until I read Krebs' article!

I've been able to get it to partially work for my PO BOX.

For some odd reason it seems to only work for packages. Not standard letter mail.

At least now I get an alert that a package went to the Post Office and isn't coming to my house.

Re: U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

#97

Post by dmckeon »

SomeHacker44 wrote: post #90
Someone1234 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People love repeating this for some reason, but mail crime is under-funded, rarely investigated, and even more rarely enforced. Realistically if you tamper with mail nothing at all will happen to you, until your fraud raises to a headline figure and could get someone a promotion.

My neighbor stole mail right out of my mailbox. I had it on video. The police declined to do anything about it. So... anecdotally validated.

Try the US Postal Inspectors: https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/ It may be too old or too small a case for them, but video evidence may help.

Re: U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

#98

Post by tony101 »

SomeHacker44 wrote: post #90
Someone1234 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People love repeating this for some reason, but mail crime is under-funded, rarely investigated, and even more rarely enforced. Realistically if you tamper with mail nothing at all will happen to you, until your fraud raises to a headline figure and could get someone a promotion.

My neighbor stole mail right out of my mailbox. I had it on video. The police declined to do anything about it. So... anecdotally validated.

For mail-related crime, you should also contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov

Re: U.S. Secret Service Warns ID Thieves Are Abusing USPS’s Mail Scanning Service

#100

Post by penguin123 »

when I signed up for this I put in my apartment number for my building, but apparently usps thought I should get all mail for the whole building. I had to cancel it as there was so much noise. But they didn't do any verification or anything, which was kind of scary.
Post reply on HN