Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel warned of a new scam when a constituent received an e-mail purportedly from a U.S Postal Inspector saying a package had been intercepted by the postal service and she should send money to an overseas address to free the package for delivery.

Rep. Engel said, “The person recognized this as a scam since she was not expecting any packagers. The e-mail she received also made vague references to national security. She notified my office and we immediately contacted the Postal Service about the e-mail.

“The USPS advises that the Postal Inspectors do not collect money to forward shipments. Anyone receiving what may appear to be a suspicious e-mail concerning their mail can go to either of two sites to file a complaint or contact one of my district offices.”

www.postalinspectorsuspis.gov

or

www.ic3.gov

You may contact postal inspectors by telephone by going onto the first site listed above and clicking on ‘contact us’ for a phone number.

“This attempt was somewhat crude but we may expect future efforts to be more sophisticated,” Rep. Engel said. “Since the e-mail came from overseas where the United States has no jurisdiction I have asked the Postal Service to take all available steps, including contacting foreign governments, to work to shut these operations down. But, remember to exercise caution and remember that postal inspectors DO NOT ask for money to process your mail.”

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