WASHINGTON – As the holiday shipping season is here, the United States Postal Inspection Service advises everyone mailing gifts to become educated and play their part to ensure their special packages arrive to their destination safely.

Here are a few tips to consider this holiday season:

1. Don’t leave your delivered mail and packages unattended. Packages left on front porches and in mailboxes are a tempting target for thieves. Don’t help them by making sure you bring all packages inside your home in a timely manner.
   
2. Going out of town? Hold your mail at the post office. Sign up for Hold Mail service on usps.com if you plan on being away from home for a few days. Your letters and packages will be held securely at your post office until you pick them up or request they be delivered to your home.
   
3. Plan ahead and ship packages using Hold for Pickup. If you are sending packages, you can choose the Hold for Pickup option on usps.com. The packages will be safely held at the recipient’s local post office until they can pick it up. If you are expecting a package, you can redirect it to your post office by selecting Hold for Pickup using Intercept a Package under Track & Manage on usps.com.
   
4. Customize the delivery. If you are expecting something you know will not fit in your mailbox and you won’t be home to receive it, you can authorize the carrier to leave it in a specified location. Visit usps.com, enter the tracking number in Track a Package, and select Delivery Instructions.
   
5. Secure the shipment using USPS Special Services. Signature Confirmation helps ensure the package ends up in the right hands by requiring a first initial and last name at the time of delivery. For your most valuable packages, you can opt for Registered Mail service. Registered Mail receives special handling from the time it’s mailed until the time it’s delivered.
   
6. Monitor your front door. If you have a home security camera system and you catch any mail thieves in the act, save the video and contact the Postal Inspection Service at 877-876-2455.

For more package security and other related tips, visit www.uspis.gov.