Fraudulent Mail Holds Under Investigation In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River police are warning residents to be alert to issues with their mail delivery after receiving complaints of fraudulent mail holds being placed on addresses in Toms River and surrounding communities.

"The unauthorized mail holds could indicate that a resident’s identity has been stolen and used to apply for credit cards in the residents’ names," said Jillian Messina, media specialist for the Toms River Police Department.

Frequently, the U.S. Postal Service, the resident and various credit card companies recognize there is a fraud attempt before there is a problem, police said.

Messina said postal inspectors are working closely with the Toms River Police Department to investigate these possible attempts at identity theft and the fraudulent mail holds.

Residents are encouraged to monitor the receipt of their mail by retrieving it daily from the mailbox or through the U.S. Postal Service's Informed Delivery online. You can register your address on the Postal Service website and have photos of your mail delivered to your email each day. (More information on Informed Delivery can be found here.)

People should report any suspicious activity or any failure to receive mail over a couple days immediately to your local post office, by calling 800-ASK-USPS, or reporting to the Postal Service on its website under "Where is my package?"

If you discover you are a victim of identity theft, you are encouraged to call the Toms River Police at 732-349-0150. You also can file a report with the police department online. On the Toms River Police Department website, select "File a Report" on the homepage.

If you discover a fraudulent mail hold was placed on your address, please file a complaint with
the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or by calling 877-876-2455.

"The Postal Inspection Service and the Toms River Police Department take it seriously when someone uses the mail to commit crimes, including trying to steal people's identity," Messina said. "Using the mail to steal someone’s identity could subject the actor to serious federal or state felony charges and time in prison."

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