WASHINGTON, DC —The U.S. Postal Service today offers new domestic and international postal money orders with enhanced security measures aimed at further deterring fraud.

The redesigned money orders, available in most Post Offices nationwide, offer several additional security measures, including a watermark and a new security thread. When the money order is held up to a light, repeating images of former Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin can be seen, making it easier for banks and Post Offices to detect counterfeits. A new holographic, multi-colored security thread also now weaves in and out of the paper to thwart scam artists attempting to produce fake money orders.

Domestic money orders are available at all Post Offices in amounts up to $1,000, at a cost of a little more than a dollar. International money orders valued at up to $700 are available to 30 countries for only $3.85. A complete list of participating countries can be found at usps.com.

“Postal money orders are the safest way to send funds through the mail and they’re among the most secure financial instruments in the world,” said David Shoenfeld, senior vice president, Mailing Services. “These enhanced security features will provide even greater protection and value for our customers.”

Although only the new, redesigned postal money orders are available beginning today, the Postal Service and financial institutions will honor any previously issued and customer-held money order.

Unfortunately, in this day and age preventing fraud is a constant battle. These changes are a proactive measure by the Postal Inspection Service to make it harder for counterfeiters to reproduce money orders.

“The Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service are committed to staying ahead of scammers and protecting our customers,” said William Gilligan, acting chief postal inspector. “These additional security features will make money orders safer, smarter and more secure.”

Additional information on the new postal money orders can be found at usps.com.

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A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 151 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 35th in the 2011 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for six years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

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