Mail theft in NYC is prosecuted under New York’s larceny statutes, federal mail theft law, or both, with penalties ranging from a misdemeanor jail term to five years in federal prison. If you’re the victim, you have two reporting channels when USPS is involved — the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the NYPD — and you should use both. If a private carrier like FedEx, UPS, or Amazon delivered the package, the federal mail theft statute doesn’t apply, and your refund path runs through the seller.
What To Do Right After a Package or Letter Is Stolen
Start with the carrier. Check your tracking page to confirm the item was marked delivered, where, and when. That timestamp anchors every report you file next.
If the item was shipped through USPS, file a complaint with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at mailtheft.uspis.gov or by calling 1-877-876-2455.1United States Postal Inspection Service. Report – United States Postal Inspection Service You’ll get a case number for follow-up. The USPIS screens each complaint and decides whether a Postal Inspector investigates. Single incidents often don’t trigger a full investigation on their own, but Postal Inspectors watch for patterns across buildings and routes, so your report feeds into data that can push a case forward later.
File a separate report with the NYPD through the online reporting system at nypdonline.org, or in person at your local precinct.2NYPD. NYPD Online Reporting Service One warning: online complaints that aren’t completed within 30 days of being started are deleted automatically, so finish the report in one sitting.
If the stolen envelope held a credit card, debit card, bank statement, Social Security document, or tax paperwork, treat it as a potential identity theft case from the start. Pull your credit reports, set fraud alerts with the credit bureaus, and contact the issuing bank for any card that may be in the envelope.
What You Need Before You File
A vague report rarely goes anywhere. Pull these together first:
- Tracking numbers from the shipping confirmation email or the sender’s receipt.
- Screenshots of the carrier’s tracking page showing the delivery timestamp and location.
- Security footage from your building’s lobby or mailbox cameras — ask the building manager quickly, before the system overwrites the clips.
- A description of what was taken, who sent it, and when it was expected.
- Any physical evidence of tampering: a broken mailbox lock, discarded packaging in the hallway, an opened envelope with the contents gone.
Getting Your Money Back
If the package was shipped with USPS insurance, file a claim at usps.com. You’ll need proof of insurance (the mailing receipt, outer packaging with the insurance label, or electronic label record), proof of value (a sales receipt, paid invoice, credit card statement, or printout of the online transaction), and the tracking or label number, which runs 13 to 34 characters.3USPS. File a USPS Claim – Domestic If you’re the recipient rather than the sender, the sender may need to open the claim since they bought the postage.
For private carriers and online retail orders, the carrier generally considers its job done once tracking shows “delivered.” Your refund or reshipment usually comes from the seller. Most major retailers will reship or refund on a first stolen-package claim through their customer service portal, though repeated claims can trigger fraud reviews. Having your NYPD report number ready speeds things up if the seller pushes back.
USPS Mail vs. Private Carrier Packages
This distinction trips people up. Federal mail theft law under 18 U.S.C. 1708 only covers mail handled by the United States Postal Service.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1708 – Theft or Receipt of Stolen Mail Matter Generally A package delivered by FedEx, UPS, or Amazon’s own logistics network never enters the postal system, so stealing it isn’t a federal mail crime. The thief can still be charged under New York State larceny statutes, but Postal Inspectors won’t take the case, and the five-year federal exposure doesn’t apply.
Many online retailers switch carriers depending on the item, so check the tracking information before you decide where to report. If it’s USPS, file with both USPIS and NYPD. If it’s a private carrier, your reports go to the NYPD and the seller.
Criminal Charges a Thief Can Face
New York doesn’t have a dedicated “mail theft” statute. Prosecutors use the general larceny laws, with the charge level tied to the value of what was taken.
If the stolen mail or package is worth $1,000 or less, it’s petit larceny under Penal Law 155.25, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.5New York State Senate. New York Penal Code PEN 155.25 – Petit Larceny6New York State Senate. New York Penal Code PEN 70.15 – Sentences of Imprisonment for Misdemeanors and Violations
Above $1,000, the charge becomes grand larceny in the fourth degree under Penal Law 155.30, a Class E felony carrying up to four years in state prison.7New York State Senate. New York Penal Law PEN 155.30 – Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree8New York State Senate. New York Penal Code PEN 70.00 – Sentence of Imprisonment for Felony The same statute makes it an automatic felony to steal a credit card or debit card from someone’s mail, regardless of the card’s face value. A thief who grabs what looks like junk mail and finds a new bank card inside has just committed a felony.
Federal mail theft under 18 U.S.C. 1708 covers stealing from any mailbox, post office, apartment mail room, or mail carrier, and also criminalizes destroying mail, opening someone else’s mail, and knowingly possessing stolen mail. A conviction carries up to five years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1708 – Theft or Receipt of Stolen Mail Matter Generally9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3571 – Sentence of Fine The value of the item doesn’t matter at the federal level; the prosecution is about the integrity of the mail system, so a stolen birthday card is treated the same as a stolen package.
When stolen mail leads to identity theft, federal aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. 1028A adds a mandatory two years of prison on top of the sentence for the underlying felony. That two-year term runs consecutively, probation isn’t available, and the add-on jumps to five years if the identity theft connects to terrorism.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1028A – Aggravated Identity Theft
How Long Prosecutors Have to File Charges
New York prosecutors must bring misdemeanor charges within two years and felony charges within five years of the offense.11New York State Senate. New York Criminal Procedure Law CPL 30.10 – Timeliness of Prosecutions Federal prosecutors face the same five-year deadline for mail theft under 18 U.S.C. 1708.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 3282 – Time Bars to Indictment Reporting promptly matters because most cases are either investigated quickly or not at all, and early reports feed the pattern data that can turn a cluster of thefts into an active case.
Preventing the Next Theft
A police report won’t bring your package back. Several preventive steps are worth more.
Sign Up for USPS Informed Delivery
Informed Delivery is a free USPS service that emails you daily grayscale images of letter-sized mail headed to your address, plus tracking updates for incoming packages.13USPS. Informed Delivery – Mail and Package Notifications You know what should be in your mailbox each day, so a missing item is obvious. Sign up at informeddelivery.usps.com.
Push for Better Mailbox Security
If your building’s mail area is unsecured, make a written request to your landlord documenting the problem. USPS requires new construction and major renovations to install compliant wall-mounted mailboxes or cluster box units with anti-pry door reinforcement, anti-fishing combs at the mail slot, and sloped hoods on outgoing slots. Older buildings often don’t meet these standards, and a paper trail helps if thefts continue.
Change How Packages Reach You
For high-value deliveries, require a signature, use an Amazon Locker or similar pickup location, or ship to your workplace. Many NYC apartment buildings now have electronic package lockers in the lobby that hold deliveries until you retrieve them with a code. Delivery instructions requesting out-of-sight placement reduce opportunistic grabs from the sidewalk.
When you’ll be away for a while, USPS offers a Hold Mail service that keeps your mail at the post office for up to 30 days; request it at usps.com. Pause any subscription deliveries from private carriers and reroute expected shipments to a neighbor or alternate address.