Edited by: TJVNews.com

The US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), renowned for its role in combating federal mail fraud and apprehending notorious criminals such as the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, finds itself at the center of an elaborate scam orchestrated by fraudsters seeking to extort victims under the guise of law enforcement authority, as was reported by The New York Post on Tuesday.

In recent months, the USPIS has been inundated with complaints about scammers posing as top inspectors within the agency, according to reports obtained by The Post. These scammers employ various tactics, including cold-calling unsuspecting individuals and falsely claiming to intercept packages containing illegal substances, such as drugs.

In a striking example of the audacity of these fraudsters, a reporter at The Post was targeted by one such scammer on January 24. Claiming to be Deputy Chief Postal Inspector Peter Rendina, the scammer attempted to intimidate the reporter by alleging the interception of a package from Mexico addressed to them, insinuating involvement in illicit activities.

The Post report indicated that despite the scammer’s efforts to appear legitimate, further investigation revealed that the provided contact information, including email address, phone number, and badge number, were all falsified, casting doubt on the authenticity of the claims made by the impersonator.

Peter Rendina, a respected 22-year veteran of the USPIS, who held the position of Deputy Chief Postal Inspector, expressed dismay over the unauthorized use of his identity for fraudulent purposes. “I’m not happy that this individual has decided to use my name and my title to perpetrate this scam,” Rendina lamented, as was noted in the Post report. However, he expressed confidence in the USPIS’s commitment to pursue justice for both himself and other victims of the scam.

The prevalence of such scams, known as “vishing” or voice phishing, has reached alarming levels, with Federal Trade Commissioner Lina Kahn revealing that Americans lost $2.7 billion to vishing scams last year alone, according to the information provided in the Post report. These schemes often involve threats of arrest and coercion to compel victims into sending money, typically in the form of gift cards, checks, or cash, to avoid purported law enforcement action.

According to Michael Martel, national public information officer for the USPIS, scammers posing as inspectors from the agency employ intimidation tactics, threatening victims with arrest and coercing them into sending money to avoid purported legal consequences. “The usual angle: ‘I know you are involved in this and you can clear it up by sending us money,'” Martel revealed, as was reported by the Post, shedding light on the deceptive tactics employed by these fraudsters.