What to do if…
you suspect a mailing address was changed after a death and important letters are missing

What to do now

1. Secure the physical mailbox if you can do that safely and lawfully.
   Empty the mailbox, check whether the lock or key access seems compromised, and secure it if you are allowed to. If it is a rental, shared mailbox, cluster mailbox, or property you cannot safely enter, contact the landlord, property manager, homeowners association, trusted keyholder, or local Post Office and ask how to secure delivery without creating conflict.

2. Use emergency help only for active danger or a crime in progress.
   If someone is actively stealing mail, threatening you, or you feel unsafe at the property, call 911.

3. Contact the local Post Office for that address.
   Ask for a supervisor and say: bereavement plus suspected fraudulent change of address, mail forwarding, or Hold Mail request. Be ready to show your ID and ask what proof they need if you are the executor, administrator, personal representative, or another person trying to protect the address. Ask what they may be able to do to:

   • check whether a Change of Address, forwarding order, or Hold Mail request may be affecting delivery
   • explain how to dispute or correct a suspected fraudulent request
   • tell you whether mail can be held for pickup while the issue is reviewed
   • note the concern for the local delivery unit if their procedures allow it

4. Report suspected mail-related crime to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
   File a report for suspected mail theft, identity theft, fraudulent change of address, fraudulent mail hold, or fraudulent Informed Delivery account. Keep the report number or confirmation details; they may help when you speak with banks, insurers, and other institutions.

5. Use Hold Mail only if it will not harm other people at the address.
   USPS Hold Mail generally pauses all mail for all people at the address, not just mail for the deceased person. If the home is vacant or everyone affected agrees, ask the local Post Office what proof is needed to place, dispute, or end a hold. Do not place a hold that would block mail for uninvolved household members.

6. Set up monitoring only if you are eligible and authorized.
   USPS Informed Delivery can preview many incoming letter-sized mailpieces and provide package notifications for eligible addresses. It does not show every item and it is not proof that a letter was delivered. Use it as an early warning tool, not as your only record.

7. Call the highest-risk senders and pause sensitive mail.
   Call bereavement, fraud, or customer-support teams for banks, credit cards, insurers, retirement plans, mortgage companies, utilities, and government benefits offices connected to the deceased person. Ask them to:

   • add a note that address changes need executor, administrator, or verified representative review
   • hold sensitive letters, checks, replacement cards, access codes, and tax forms until a safe address is confirmed
   • reissue urgent letters only after you confirm where they should be sent
   • tell you what documentation they need before they discuss the account

8. If identity theft may be involved, create a separate identity-theft record.
   Use the federal identity theft reporting route if personal information may have been stolen or used. If your own mail or identity may also be affected, consider a fraud alert or credit freeze for yourself. For the deceased person’s records, ask each bank, credit bureau, or institution what death-case documents they require.

9. Start a simple timeline and mail log.
   Write down the date of death, when mail went missing, who had mailbox access, which senders say they mailed letters, dates you checked the mailbox, Post Office contacts, USPIS report details, and any notices about forwarding or Hold Mail. Keep screenshots, envelopes, tracking numbers, and sender notes together.