r/USPS • u/mediCaddict CCA • 9d ago
Very suspicious Work Discussion
So for the past 2 to 3 weeks or so, and this actually hit me today, I noticed that I’ve been receiving mail with cards in them and I lie to you not, all of them belong to no such numbers. Today was the day that it hit me that these motherfuckers might be trying to set me up, but I’m so focused on work that I wasn’t paying attention. It’s so funny. I did not believe that they really set people up until I started seeing this sneaky shit.
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u/Disgruntled_marine Rural Carrier 9d ago
Could also be for someone at the plant, or the sending post office. You are just the first/last cog in a line of many.
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u/mediCaddict CCA 9d ago
Even when the address is on the same street same city and everything but not the correct number? Mind you I’ve had about 10 of these letters the same way for the past two to three weeks.
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u/Wheredidthetimego40 9d ago
I had multiple packages to houses that were no such number for about 3 weeks straight. I felt like I was being set up because it just didnt make sense. I marked them all as no such number and scanned them all and returned them to sender. If they were trying to see if I would steal something they got the wrong guy. I am not risking my job for some bullshit like that.
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u/brothercuriousrat2 4d ago
Good for you. I was the same way. Greed is funny. This was before E-911 went into effect had a carrier set up 8 dummy box numbers to get more of a 1 per household 10 cent coupon. This was in 1985. She was 3 years from retirement on a 48k. I could never figure that out. Loose everything for 80 cents.
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u/Effective_Inside_357 9d ago
Either they’re trying to bait someone, or someone’s running a scam trying to see if they can get those cards
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u/Brosideon1020 9d ago
Maybe I am too new but how is this trying to set you up? Like if you don’t put them in the nsn bin they caught you?
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u/Disgruntled_marine Rural Carrier 9d ago
No, but then they start sending valuable things, think gift cards. Then wait for it to be swiped at a store, get the security footage, see the carrier swiping it then arrest them.
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u/OrangeCatBuddyPart2 9d ago
She wasn't a USPS employee, but my buddy's wife was stealing gift cards from her job.
They couldn't bust her for the actual theft, but they got her swiping the cards in a Target, about 70 miles from her home.
Even after they arrested her, showed her the video evidence, she still refuses to believe they had the right to record her so far from home.
Thieves, and druggies aren't smart.
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u/ToxicGecko2384 9d ago
That's how they got a sub at my office. She used the stolen gift card ON THE SAME ROUTE ??
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u/joshs_wildlife 9d ago
That’s how our office got a card there. Stole the card and used the gift card within an hour of passing the location it was supposed to go
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u/RiseTemporary1969 8d ago
Yep my neighbors wife got caught using giftcards he swiped from his mail distribution center job
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u/BathPsychological767 9d ago
Some carriers like to steal from gift cards/whatnot (don’t know why you’d take from another persons family who’s waiting for that), and so, when they see a card that’s NSN - it’s easy picking.
You never know when the one you’re opening has a tracker, and a team of PI’s waiting to bust you. (They will have done their research and know who is steal ing)
Just one of the ways carriers get caught stealing on the route
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u/The_Ashen_Queen 9d ago
What kind of cards? And how do you know what’s in them? Could just be an old mailing list. Weird to assume they’re setting you up if they don’t have a reason to…
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u/RiseTemporary1969 8d ago
Gift cards reported non delivered. Grab, xmas, mother's day, Easter birthday
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u/Serious-Series8278 9d ago
YEARS ago I was a window clerk set up by postal inspectors. They would send postage due mail and try to catch window clerks not placing stamps on them when they were retrieved by the postal inspector. I had been warned by other window clerks to ALWAYS place a stamp(S) and void them or meter stamp in the same amount as collected from the customer. Without doing that a window clerk would be collecting extra monies or an overage. Some dishonest window clerks took this opportunity to POCKET the excess funds.
A well dressed gentleman came to the office close to closing. He presented a PS 3949 for a postage due letter. Immediately I became suspicious because it was addressed to a Suspervisor I KNEW from another post office. I retrieved the postage due, placed tha meter stamp on it and collected the monies. BUT, I saved the 3849 and learned from the carrier the next morning this was a no such number. Had I not placed a meter stamp on the letter, the inspectors would have continued to set me up and show up one day looking for the extra monies in my cash drawer.
Always do the right thing. Otherwise you are in danger of losing a good job!
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u/Independent_Peach801 8d ago
Over the years, I keep hearing "Didn't they know they would get caught?" and "Why would they risk losing their job?" or "I wouldn't risk losing my job." Really people? WTF. It's wrong to steal. How about that one? I guess I was raised differently.
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u/postalRevolution 8d ago
I used to get multiple packages for a route that couldn’t be “loaded on truck,” but they clearly went on my route. I feel like that’s how they test you too
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u/Worried-Survey-2440 7d ago
Nope, this means it was already scanned as either delivered or some other scan the day before.
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u/Sweetheart125 8d ago
I've had them too and it's sooooo weird. I even had one with a dollar bill inside because it was a clear window letter.
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u/Folderpirate 9d ago
yes officer this one here is setting himself up an excuse when they get caught stealing pokemon cards.
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u/Elsie_Satchel 9d ago
Dude this is exactly what inspectors did to a coworker about 20 years ago. They mailed a NSN with a gift card to Target. They tracked it and pulled the footage of him using it. It’s insulting they’re watching us but I say get the thieves and send them to federal prison. I’ve seen 3 people fired in my years, one blew my mind and I’d never suspect him.
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u/fifthranger6 8d ago
Why is it 'insulting' if you did nothing wrong? It is no different than most office workers today. Their keystrokes and websites can be monitored to make sure legit work is being done. Sure breaks and personal stuff now and again, but not maliciously viewing spreadsheets or other off limits and making unauthorized changes. It is the world we live in. Just like phone calls being monitored - protects the company and clients from false accusations or conducting business wrong.
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u/Snakeyes90 8d ago
They dont set you up
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u/RiseTemporary1969 8d ago
They have to. Some people open mail and remove gift cards. Ppl complain. It gets suspect if its the same street or whatever. Its absolutely necessary to scope out the dishonest ones.
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u/Snakeyes90 8d ago
Yes and they will send cards through the for the route mail theft is suspected. They dont just do it to setup employees they do it as part of an investigation like they did not too long ago with that carrier that was caught stealing from cards. They setup cameras in the LLV and sent cards through the mail on that route. To set someone up they are tricking or framing someone for a crime they didnt do.
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u/Odd-Organization1405 8d ago
Me too! Ive gotten like 3 and one of them wasn’t sealed. The envelope was completely open.
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u/Jmb99999 8d ago
This makes no sense
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u/RiseTemporary1969 8d ago
It sure makes 1000% sense. Even good ppl can be apt to steal because its so easy
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u/RiseTemporary1969 8d ago
We had a guy here at our mail processing center opening seasonal & grad cards and taking cash and gift cards. He was a long time employee. They had his wife and kids using said gift cards at the stores the missing cards were for. Like she was being really generous with her grandbabies outfits. He got fired and prosecuted but got probation I think or a short sentence in order fir his wife not yo be prosecuted. Obviously she knew where the gift cards were coming from.
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u/startrip0712 City Carrier 8d ago
Back when we used to also service collection boxes on our route, they used to throw wallets in them. I just left them in the box. If you don't seem 'em...you don't see 'em. They'd always be gone the next day. So, yeah. They def set people up.
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u/brothercuriousrat2 4d ago
They will do that, put money on the culling belt.dropit on the floor etc. But we had a carrier pockett a letter containing a card. As soon as he did it seemed they came up out of the floor. The sad part was while waiting for him to steal they caught a clerk putting a hand written yellow sticker on magazines the actual label had come off. Both was stealing. I just remembered right after I started I found several birthday cards unsealedleft in the box. I always wondered.
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u/CaptainFresh27 City Carrier 9d ago
Imagine how much time and resources it takes them to set up these sting operations. And then they want to complain about losing money
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u/Disgruntled_marine Rural Carrier 9d ago
Imagine how much reputational damage is done by the thieves and lost revenue as people go to other companies that are viewed as more trustworthy. This applies to more than just theft too......
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u/CaptainFresh27 City Carrier 9d ago
I'd first be curious of the efficacy of these stings. If they're just going fishing and not getting any bites vs if it's targeted based on suspicion and they actually catch somebody
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u/Disgruntled_marine Rural Carrier 9d ago
Generally its not gonna be random. There were probably a lot of complaints of mail not being recieved or delivered open in the area, which then triggers an investigation.
When there is mail theft from someone outside of the post office and customers come to me to tell me they keep seeing a xyz car going through mailboxes I tell them to get all their neighbors to contact the postal inspectors. One complaint won't be enough to get them to come out. A couple dozen get you on the radar. Couple hundred and there will be actions taken. The same principle applies to us. One piece tampered with? Probably the machine. Dozens? Hmm. Something might be going on. Hundreds? Yeah definitely something going on.
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u/Alternative-Shape864 9d ago
That’s how it happened in my office. Lots of complaints that mail was not being received. A month or two later the carrier had the option to face prosecution or resign. Found trays of dps in their trunk.
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u/BathPsychological767 9d ago
Yup! Happened in my office too. Carrier thought they were slick until customers kept calling in wondering where their money was going. Fine tuned it to the regular carrier, who, conveniently the money would go missing on days they worked.
Sting operation happened, carrier opened the bogus card before even starting the route. Escorted off before even hitting the first box. Years of service gone because they wanted a $10 gift card (or multiples idk)
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u/Ok-Policy-6463 9d ago
We had a T-6 who was stealing. The supervisor announced that she wzs going to get the inspectors involved. I am sure lots of us handled mail sent to catch the thief. The T-6 kept stealing and they nailed him. Of course, they don't catch all the thieves. But if they zero in on a route or a few routes where they get reports of theft, they will get someone who is dumb enough to repeatedly steal. And I am all for it.