- Lowell
USPS Informed Delivery
Informed delivery is a service from the US Postal system sends email alerts about upcoming mail/package deliveries. In most cases, you’ll receive a picture of mail being delivered, but some things like advertisements, packages, and magazines are not scanned.
The service offers a bit of security because you'll know what deliveries to expect on a given day. You’ll get notices about package delivery schedules to help you foil “porch pirates,” and you’ll also be notified when a package is left in your mailbox. There’s also a way to report undelivered mail. Spoiler alert: If someone sends you an unexpected greeting card or gift, the surprise factor can be reduced because you’ll know the item is arriving.
It’s simple to access this service. Go to the website above and look for the Informed Delivery button. It’s usually underneath the picture on the right side of the page. Click and you’re on your way.
Caveats:
There has been concern in years past about crooks signing up for Informed Delivery at your address, then applying for credit cards and stealing them from your mailbox when they get the delivery notice. I'm not sure if this problem still exists, but here’s an old link with information: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/11/u-s-secret-service-warns-id-thieves-are-abusing-uspss-mail-scanning-service/. This is one reason I signed up for the service.
If you sign up electronically, the service will ask questions it obtains from Equifax. I had a problem getting the service for my Mom and Dad because we had frozen their credit bureau accounts. In that case, I know of two options: 1) Unfreeze your Equifax account for a day before enrolling, or 2) Ask the Postal Service to send a code via snail mail and use it to enroll. This option is offered during sign-up.