Fact check: False claim robbers in stolen Postal Service uniforms are targeting people in Memphis
The claim: Robbers in stolen Postal Service uniforms are targeting people in Memphis, Tennessee
Mail carriers deliver millions of packages around the country during the holiday season each year. Some social media users, however, are warning that not all mail carriers are who they appear to be.
“Yall please be careful someone stole some post office uniforms and act as if they are delivering packages and robbing folks.. Yes right here in Memphis!! Stay woke,” reads a Dec. 20 Facebook post (direct link, archived link) that was shared more than 800 times in one day.
Another version of the claim also circulated widely on the social media platform.
Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks
But both the Postal Service and Memphis police said they have no record of such an incident. Mail carriers have been targeted by armed robbers in recent months, but there is no evidence any Postal Service uniforms were stolen.
USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the claim for comment.
Mail carriers targeted by robbers, no reports of uniform thefts
Officer Theresa Carlson, a spokesperson for the Memphis Police Department, told USA TODAY there were no reports matching the crime described in the Facebook post in the area.
Dan Mihalko, a spokesperson for the Postal Service, said the agency’s law enforcement branch is “unaware of any thefts of postal uniforms.”
Fact check: Old hoax resurfaces claiming thieves handing out drugged masks to rob houses
There have been an array of recent incidents in which mail carriers were targeted by thieves in states including Illinois, Massachusetts, Florida and Maryland. In several of those cases, the postal workers' arrow keys for unlocking multi-unit mailboxes were stolen.
The National Association of Letter Carriers, a union that represents Postal Service workers, has advocated for an ordinance that would end the practice of having a single arrow key in response to the attacks, as reported by CBS News Chicago.
The Associated Press, PolitiFact and Lead Stories also debunked the claim.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that robbers in stolen Postal Service uniforms are targeting people in Memphis. Both the Postal Service and Memphis Police Department said there are no reports matching the crime described in the Facebook post. There have been an array of armed robberies targeting Postal Service workers, but there is no evidence uniforms were taken during the incidents.
Our fact-check sources:
Dan Mihalko, Dec. 21, Email to USA TODAY
Theresa Carlson, Dec. 21, Email to USA TODAY
CBS News Chicago, Dec. 19, Two postal workers robbed in an hour; union wants safety plan
WCVB-TV, Dec. 13, USPS mail carrier robbed at gunpoint by 2 suspects in Melrose, Massachusetts
WJLA-TV, Oct. 20, Suspect robs USPS carrier, takes off with keys in Montgomery County: Police
WPTV, Aug. 8, U.S. Postal Inspection Service offers $50,000 rewards after mail carriers robbed in Boca Raton, Fort Pierce
Lead Stories, Dec. 21, Fact Check: NO Evidence Thieves Stole U.S. Postal Service Uniforms And Are Using Them To Rob Homeowners At Gunpoint
The Associated Press, Dec. 21, No reports of postal uniform theft, home invasion scheme: USPS
PolitiFact, Dec. 20, No evidence fake postal workers are robbing people at gunpoint
Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here.
Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: USPS, Memphis police say no evidence of supposed robberies
