Protect your identity. Prevent mail theft.

1. Collect your mail promptly after delivery.
2. If you’ll be away, let us hold your mail until you return.
3. When you move:
   • File a change of address with us.
   • Advise your banks and other companies of your new address.
4. If your bills fail to arrive, contact companies immediately to ensure bills have not been fraudulently redirected.
5. Shred documents that contain personal financial information, such as statements and credit card offers.

What is identity theft?

When someone steals your name and personal information to access your finances, buy goods and incur debts in your name, or commit other crimes.

Keep outgoing mail safe

• Never send cash in the mail. Use postal money orders, available at all Post Offices.
• Deposit your mail close to the scheduled pickup time posted on the mailbox.
• Deposit mail items containing sensitive or financial information, or large quantities of mail at your local Post Office.
• If you see an overturned or vandalized street letter box, call us at 1-800-267-1177.

Suspicious letters and parcels

What makes a letter or parcel suspicious?

What to do with a suspicious letter or parcel

1. Contact the police.
2. Do not handle, shake or smell the suspicious item.
3. Do not return the item to Canada Post.
4. Isolate the item and evacuate the vicinity.
5. If you have handled the item, wash your hands.

What to do if...

• You haven’t received mail for an unusual period of time.
• You are receiving mail that’s not yours.
• You think you might be a victim of identity theft.
• You suspect that mail has been stolen from your mailbox—notify the police, and report it to our customer service department.

About postal security at Canada Post

Security and Investigation Services is a federal investigative body whose primary mandate is to protect the mail, information, personnel and assets of Canada Post. Postal inspectors play a vital role by investigating:

• mail, information and identity theft
• damage to Canada Post property
• fraud
• threats to employees
• mail related criminal offences

Return to sender mail at your mailing address that you have never sent

For the past few years, unknown organized crime groups have been using the Canadian postal system to distribute Mass Marketing Fraud (MMF) mailings throughout North America. These mailings enter our postal system and try to legitimize the mailings by including various cover letters, company logos, return addresses, etc. 

Why are you receiving those envelopes?  The fraudsters will use legitimate return address and company name in order to make the envelope look more legitimate.  If the mailing address is incomplete or the person is unknown at the address, the envelope is returned to the address listed as the sender.  The fraudsters are not interested in the envelopes which are returned to sender as it did not reach their potential victim.

Canada Post’s approach to this problem has been in a supportive role to law enforcement communities in their investigative strategies; the Security & Investigation Services team works very closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre, United States Postal Inspection Services and the Competition Bureau and others in these matters.

The majority of these MMF mailings are destined to US consumers.
Despite Canada Post efforts, there is still a quantity of MMF mail which manages to be processed and delivered to the United States. Some of these MMF mailings are intercepted by the United States Customs and Border Protection at the US Postal Service International Service Centre.  In these cases, your company may receive a letter from the United States Postal Inspection Service regarding “Determination Non-Mailability”.

While the US Postal Service is aware of these fraudulent schemes, the letter is forwarded in accordance with their regulations and legal framework.

For more information on this matter, contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.