Looking for mail handling?
what is considered mail tampering?
what are the essentials you need to know!
Keep reading because we’ve compiled exactly the information you need!
Let’s see what it means to tamper with mail, how it works and its punishments!
are you ready?
Let’s get started!
what is mail manipulation?
mail tampering is a term we use to refer to anyone who steals, opens, destroys, damages, or withholds someone else’s mail.
The important thing to note is that in the United States, your mail is considered private property.
To the same extent that someone cannot steal, damage or destroy your private property, we all have the same with our mail.
When someone commits a federal mail tampering offense or a crime under state law, they are in fact infringing on your private property and privacy.
The person who commits such a crime will be punished by law and sentenced for tampering with the mail.
mail definition
what is considered mail?
Anything a person receives in the mail can be considered “mail”, such as:
- letter
- postcard
- package
- box
- bag
- package
mail can be placed in any of the following locations:
- private mailbox
- collection box
- being with the postman
- being in the mail truck
- office post box
- mailbox
Essentially, any letter, document, item, or item of value that is mailed to you can be classified as “mail”.
manipulation definition
what does manipulation mean?
Although each jurisdiction may define the term “tampering” differently or qualify the crime slightly differently, in general terms, you can expect tampering to mean:
- destroy mail
- steal mail
- damage mail
- prevent mail from being delivered
- hide mail
- interfere with receiving mail
When a person opens another person’s mailbox, alters letters, opens another person’s mail, or the like, the act may be punishable under federal or state anti-mail tampering laws.
crime: intentional behavior
To be found guilty of altering the mail law, the prosecutor must be able to prove the elements of the crime.
Like many other crimes, there must be an element of “intent”.
for example, under 18 code 1708, if you steal or alter someone’s mail or obtain someone’s mail through fraud or deception, you are committing a crime.
mail theft happens more often than it should.
Unfortunately, there are many out there who will steal packages delivered to someone, steal mail sent to someone, or illegally take valuables sent to someone in the mail, such as gifts, gift cards, goods, or other valuables.
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Those who intercept another person’s mail to commit identity theft crimes or find information about a person’s bank account, credit card or financial affairs to commit other fraudulent and illegal acts are also committing an intentional crime .
how to prevent it
handling mail is a crime.
Depending on the nature of the crime, it may be charged at the state level or it may be a federal crime.
The best way to avoid becoming a victim of mail tampering is to contact the police if you see someone other than the mail carrier or postal worker tampering with someone’s mail.
There are many reasons why someone might want to steal someone else’s mail, such as:
- to harass them
- to harass them
- to cause financial harm
- to defraud them
- to commit identity theft
or other.
If you see someone taking someone else’s mail, box delivery, or any other product delivered to you, be sure to contact your local law enforcement authorities.
There are also websites where you can report mail tampering by completing a mail tampering report form.
mail handling and related crimes
Is mail tampering a federal crime?
Federal Mail Tampering Laws
In the United States, tampering with mail is considered a crime.
Anyone convicted of mail tampering can end up in jail, receive a severe fine, or be sentenced to probation.
When you destroy someone’s mail, steal mail, tamper with someone’s mailbox or letter, or prevent someone from receiving their mail, you are committing mail tampering.
This is a crime that can be punished by state or federal law.
The United States Postal Service is a federal agency and, as a result, your mailbox is considered federal property.
If you violate the federal mailbox tampering law, you can be subject to up to 5 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.
state laws on mail handling
Not only can you be charged with a federal crime for tampering with the mail, but you can also be charged under state law.
as an example, in california there is a crime called “mail theft”.
Mail theft in California is considered a misdemeanor and can receive a sentence of up to one year in jail along with a $1,000 fine.
Each state will have its own set of laws and statutes that may govern mail-related crimes.
in new york, for example, you can be charged with criminal tampering, which is a type of property damage crime.
postal fraud
also has mail fraud as a crime.
may have “mail tampering” and “mail fraud”.
mail fraud is when a criminal uses the medium of the mail to illegally extract money from someone.
When you defraud someone through mail operations, you are committing a federal crime.
In other words, mail fraud is governed by federal law and is considered a federal crime.
for example, if someone sends an email to another inviting them to invest in a big real estate project or to invest in stocks by transferring some money and getting a high return, they can be charged with a postal crime.
The reason that is the case is that the commission of the crime involved the use of the us. uu. postal services to carry out the fraudulent scheme.
When a person is charged with mail fraud, the crime is elevated to a federal felony and punishable at the federal level.
In a nutshell, there are different states that may have “mail tampering laws” and, in general, “mail fraud” is a federal crime.
penalties for handling mail
handling mail can get you into legal trouble.
Under state statutes, mail tampering is generally considered a misdemeanor.
The penalty for altering a chart under state law can be up to two years in prison.
If you pick up someone’s mail by accident or open it by accident, it may not be a crime.
However, if you deliberately intercept someone’s mail, damage it, crumple it, steal it, or prevent the person from receiving the mail, you may be committing a crime.
Under 18 usc 1708 entitled “theft or stolen mail receipt”, it is a crime who:
If you are found guilty of mail theft, you may be penalized as follows:
As you can see, the penalty under 18 usc 1708 can be quite harsh!
You can also receive fines for mail theft that can go up to $250,000!
the united states postal service has posted a very nice poster on the consequences of tampering with postal mail on their website:
there, they state “handling the mail will get you a new home, new friends, & a new job” to suggest that you may end up in “jail” as your new home, befriend inmates, and have to meet prison duties as his new job.
very clever and quite shocking message!
handling takeout from mailbox
So there you have it folks!
what does mail handling mean?
Is tampering with the mail a federal crime?
what is the penalty for tampering with mail?
If you accidentally take or pick up someone’s mail, don’t stress too much, as it probably won’t be considered a crime.
In most cases, a person who realizes they have taken someone else’s mail will either return it or put a note on the mail indicating it was delivered to the wrong address.
on the other hand, when a person “intentionally” takes someone else’s mail or tampers with the mail in any way, that behavior can have legal consequences.
Mail tampering is criminal conduct defined as stealing, destroying, damaging, or retaining someone’s mail (whether personal and private property) with the intent to damage, cause a nuisance, or commit other illegal acts.
Let’s look at a summary of our findings.