Employee embezzlements may involve postal employees stealing money from cash drawers, using sophisticated schemes to manipulate postal money orders or money order funds, or falsifying financial retail records. When Post Offices experience unusual or significant shortages, Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agents employ various investigative techniques to uncover embezzlements, and improper or lax procedures are reported to management for corrective action. When employees are found to be responsible for missing postal funds, they are reported to management for appropriate administrative action. In cases that warrant criminal prosecution, offenders not only face the loss of their jobs but also may face jail time and court-ordered restitution.
The Postal Service uses about 220,000 vehicles— one of the largest fleets in the United States — to deliver mail across the nation. Through a partnership with U.S. Bank and Voyager Fleet, the Postal Service issues one credit card per vehicle for refueling, routine maintenance, and vehicle washing and polishing. Under no circumstances are postal employees or contractors allowed to disclose their personal identification numbers (PIN) to non-postal entities; use the card for personal uses; exceed the daily purchase limit without proper authorization; or transfer purchasing authority to a non-postal entity. However, some dishonest postal employees, contractors, and other individuals misuse these credit cards for personal gain. Special Agents investigated 51 cases of Voyager credit card fraud this reporting period, resulting in 13 arrests and 18 administrative actions.
During the reporting period, October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2011, OIG special agents completed 704 financial fraud investigations, resulting in 141 arrests, 421 administrative actions, and recovered over $3.8 million for the U.S. Postal Service.