Before you respond
Suspicious letters and notices
Learn how to check a suspicious mailed letter or notice, including fake government mail, invoices, prizes, QR codes, and payment pressure.
Reviewed June 10, 2026
Quick answer
A suspicious letter or notice may be a scam if it looks official but pushes urgent payment, a QR code, a phone number, a fee, or personal information before you can verify.
Do not use contact details from the letter until you check the agency, company, court, or sender through a trusted official source.
At a glance
A mailed notice scam uses an official-looking letter, invoice, prize notice, renewal, or government-style warning to collect money or personal information.
- The letter demands fast payment, fees, or personal information.
- It includes a QR code, phone number, or website you are pressured to use.
- The sender name sounds official but does not match a trusted source.
Pause and verify the sender through an official website or phone number you find yourself.
How fake notices use official-looking paperwork
Mailed scams can look more credible because they arrive on paper. A letter may copy government language, invoices, renewal notices, sweepstakes claims, debt warnings, charity requests, business filing forms, or package notices.
Treat the contact details inside the letter as unverified. Search for the agency, court, company, charity, or program yourself, then compare the name, address, fee, account number, and deadline. If the notice includes a QR code or payment link, use the same caution you would use with suspicious links and QR codes.
What it may look like
"Final notice: scan this QR code or call today to pay your mandatory processing fee and avoid enforcement action."
Signs to slow down
- The letter uses official-looking seals, deadlines, forms, or case numbers but asks for unusual payment.
- It tells you to scan a QR code, call a number, or visit a website printed in the notice.
- It asks for gift cards, wire transfer, payment apps, crypto, card details, Social Security numbers, or copies of IDs.
- It says you won a prize, owe a fee, must renew a listing, must file a business record, or face legal trouble.
- The sender name is vague, slightly wrong, or designed to sound like a government office or familiar company.
What to do next
- Do not scan, call, pay, or enter information from the letter until you verify.
- Look up the agency, court, company, charity, or sender through an official source you find yourself.
- Compare account numbers, addresses, deadlines, and fees with your real records.
- Keep the envelope and letter if you may need to report it.
- Ask a trusted contact for a second opinion before sending payment or identity documents.
How to report it
- Report suspected mail fraud to the United States Postal Inspection Service.
- Report broader scam attempts to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Search or report similar scam patterns through BBB Scam Tracker when useful.
How Olevo can help
Olevo can help review a photo of a suspicious letter or notice.
Use Detailed Review for a photo of the notice, envelope, QR code, or printed web address. If you prefer a Private Check, type the visible wording without personal account numbers.
Trusted sources
Mail Fraud
United States Postal Inspection Service
USPIS guidance covers suspicious official-looking letters, government look-alike mail, sweepstakes mail, and other mail fraud patterns.
Report
United States Postal Inspection Service
USPIS provides reporting paths for suspected mail theft, identity theft involving mail, and mail fraud.
Find and Report a Scam
Better Business Bureau
BBB Scam Tracker lets people search and report scam patterns, including reports tied to URLs, email addresses, phone numbers, and other details.
How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam
Federal Trade Commission
FTC guidance says government impersonators may contact people by call, email, text, or social media message.
Fake Prize, Sweepstakes, and Lottery Scams
Federal Trade Commission
FTC guidance says real prizes are free, and paying fees, taxes, or processing charges to claim one is a warning sign.
Common questions
Can a paper letter be a scam?
Yes. Mail can be used for fake invoices, prize notices, government look-alike letters, charity requests, renewals, and payment pressure.
Should I scan a QR code on a mailed notice?
Only after you verify the sender through a trusted source. Unexpected QR codes can hide payment, login, or identity collection pages.
What should I keep if I report mail fraud?
Keep the letter, envelope, phone numbers, web addresses, QR code, payment instructions, and any receipts or messages connected to it.
What if the letter has my real name or address?
That does not prove it is real. Scammers can use public or purchased information to make a letter look personal.