The U.S. Postal Inspection Service

Asset Forfeiture

The Asset Forfeiture Program is used to make sure criminal’s profits are put to good use. This could be by returning assets to victims or increasing revenue for law enforcement. In one example, a company known as MoneyGram collected fees and transactional revenues under false pretenses, such as collecting nonexistent cash prizes or helping relatives in urgent need of money. Under a settlement with authorities, MoneyGram paid $100 million back to victims.

A Postal Inspector holding a handful of paper money
Asset forfeitures enable the Postal Inspection Service to restore property to crime victims and innocent owners and to share the seized assets of fraudsters with other law enforcement agencies.  Photo by Postal Inspector Allen McHenry