Fake USPS change-of-address site found on Google charges you $40–$179
Fake USPS change-of-address websites appear as Google search results or paid ads, copying the real USPS page design. Victims pay $40–$179 for a service that costs $1.10, and their address and card data are stolen.
Also known as: fake USPS address change site, USPS change of address scam, postal service address redirect scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Always type usps.com directly into your browser — never use a search result or ad for the change-of-address form
- 2 The official USPS address-change fee is exactly $1.10 for identity verification; any higher amount means you are on a fake site
- 3 If you paid a fake site, contact your card issuer immediately to dispute the charge and replace the card
- 4 Verify that your change of address actually went through by logging in to usps.com directly after completing it
- 5 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ Any site for USPS change of address that charges more than $1.10 is not the real USPS
- ⚠ The scam site appears at the top of Google results — sometimes as a paid ad above the real usps.com
- ⚠ Logos, colors, and form layout look identical to USPS but the domain is not usps.com
- ⚠ The site asks for card payment rather than just identity verification
- ⚠ Mail never starts arriving at your new address after you submitted the change