WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:06.000 It's Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm WBS Costin's new radio. 2 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:13.320 All right, welcome back everyone. So I'm aware of what 3 00:00:13.679 --> 00:00:18.399 is going on in different places. And if you go 4 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:25.960 to any of the websites, put into your browser forever Stamps, 5 00:00:26.879 --> 00:00:29.440 and you will see that there's a bunch of companies 6 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:34.880 that are selling roles of what purport to be US 7 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:42.520 stamps at much reduced prices. And it's almost unbelievable. So, 8 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:46.200 for example, if you were to buy one hundred currently 9 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:51.399 at the post office US first class postage stamps, there's 10 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:53.799 sixty seven cents apiece. So if you're going to buy, 11 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:56.840 let's say a roll of one hundred, it works out 12 00:00:56.840 --> 00:01:00.479 the sixty seven dollars. Pretty simple, man. Just going to 13 00:01:00.520 --> 00:01:05.439 buy a little book of twenty of those stamps works 14 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:07.760 out to I think it's fourteen dollars and sixty cents. 15 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:11.000 I bought a book of stamps yesterday at my post office. 16 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:14.840 But I was intrigued by some of these offers that 17 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:19.640 I see on the internet. Pretty simple, just put in 18 00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:23.200 forever stamps and they're offering a roll of one hundred 19 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:26.519 stamps for thirty two dollars and ninety nine cents a 20 00:01:26.680 --> 00:01:33.920 role of it's deeply discounted, about fifty percent for the 21 00:01:33.959 --> 00:01:39.560 most part. So that caused me to call an acquaintance 22 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:44.719 from about a year ago, Danielle Scrogi of the US 23 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:49.040 Postal Inspection Service. What exactly, Danielle, is your title with 24 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:52.640 the Postal Department? Is it inspector or are you up 25 00:01:52.680 --> 00:01:54.400 there in the administration if you know. 26 00:01:54.439 --> 00:01:58.040 What I'm saying, Yes, no, how you darn I'm a 27 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:01.840 postal inspector, so I must relation with the Postal Inspection. 28 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:08.599 Service, gotcha? So I know that you're pretty skeptical about 29 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:13.280 the legitimacy legitimacy of these stamps, and we had a 30 00:02:13.280 --> 00:02:19.520 great conversation this morning about this. So how concerned should 31 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:24.599 people be? This is? This is kind of complicated because 32 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:29.039 I guess theoretically some of these sites might be legitimate, 33 00:02:29.159 --> 00:02:32.159 but most of them are not. And how does an 34 00:02:32.680 --> 00:02:36.599 average person who's looking to save a few dollars navigate 35 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:42.080 these sites? It's overwhelming, to be honest with you, all 36 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:45.360 these different sites and you don't want to, you know, 37 00:02:45.639 --> 00:02:48.960 buy counterfeit stamps. How do you avoid it? 38 00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:53.319 Yeah, that's a great question. You know, we definitely want 39 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:57.000 our customers and people to know that there are a 40 00:02:57.039 --> 00:03:00.280 ton of counterfeit stamps out there, unfortunately, and so I 41 00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:02.879 understand that people are looking online for a good deal, 42 00:03:03.080 --> 00:03:06.319 and you know, you might see blocks or bricks of 43 00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:09.759 stamps as we call them, significantly discounted, and usually I'm 44 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:13.120 talking anywhere from twenty to fifty percent off the face value, 45 00:03:13.159 --> 00:03:16.840 a very big discount, you know, being sold out in 46 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:21.360 social media marketplaces, econmas sites or even third parties and 47 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:25.120 websites all over the place. And that's usually a tailtale sign, 48 00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:27.879 not in and of itself, of the deep steep discounts, 49 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:31.199 that what you're purchasing isn't legitimate. You know, the Postal 50 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:35.280 Service we have forever stamps, right, we have a set value, 51 00:03:35.400 --> 00:03:38.000 and so you know, we don't have stamps go on 52 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:40.439 sale on Black Friday. You don't see that, you know. 53 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:43.319 So when you see that, as a consumer, you need 54 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.000 to be very skeptical that you might be purchasing something 55 00:03:46.039 --> 00:03:49.560 that's completely counterfeit. And so though again that's probably the 56 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:52.159 biggest red flag is the price in itself. 57 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:56.919 So I'm on the US Postal Service website, which I 58 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:02.199 believe is legitimate USPS dot com, and it has, for example, 59 00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:07.280 some really interesting stamps. This one here Hank Aaron stamps 60 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:13.560 and it says forever seventy three cents. I thought that 61 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:16.240 the further stamps were sixty seven cents. Are they going 62 00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:17.800 up to seventy three cents soon? 63 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:22.240 They're currently seventy three cents right now. They're probably we 64 00:04:22.360 --> 00:04:26.000 just the Postal Service just announced in July of twenty 65 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:28.759 twenty five it will be going up another five cents 66 00:04:28.920 --> 00:04:31.279 if the board governors approved that. I believe that's in 67 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:34.040 the work, so they will be getting more expensive. But 68 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:36.959 to your point, this is another reason why, you know, 69 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:38.959 I mean, times are tough for a lot of people, 70 00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:41.560 and so you know everyone's looking to save a buck. 71 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:43.360 But I'm here to tell you that this is not 72 00:04:43.480 --> 00:04:46.600 the way to do it. The only way that you 73 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:49.800 can definitely know that you're buying legitimate stamp sock is 74 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:53.439 when you do buy your stamps from USPS dot com 75 00:04:53.879 --> 00:04:57.839 or from you know, one of the approved postal providers. 76 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:01.560 And there are some legitimate big box or warehouse retailers 77 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:03.800 that you can purchase stamps at and get a very 78 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:07.839 slight discount. But again, they're not going to be anywhere 79 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:11.920 in the twenty to fifty percent off range. That's just 80 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:13.480 again a huge red flag. 81 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:18.639 So right now, I was mistaken. A single first class 82 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:24.560 stamp today costs seventy three cents correct, Okay, And so 83 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:28.120 that's when I bought my Oh I see that's where 84 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:32.560 it comes out to fourteen sixty okay, gotcha. So so 85 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:35.000 I thought I was buying stamps at sixty seven cents 86 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:37.600 at the post office. No, I was spaying. And they're 87 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:41.240 going up in July to what seventy eight. 88 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:42.199 Seventy eight cents? 89 00:05:43.160 --> 00:05:43.519 Okay? 90 00:05:43.959 --> 00:05:44.160 Yeah? 91 00:05:44.160 --> 00:05:46.800 The Postal Service announced earlier this year that they were 92 00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:50.240 thinking to increase that and it's going to the Bard 93 00:05:50.279 --> 00:05:51.920 of Governors and once it gets approved that it'll go 94 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:52.920 through in July. 95 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:59.920 So here's a dumb question. Why is the price of 96 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:03.399 Why has the price of stamps gone up so dramatically? 97 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:06.360 And if I'm asking an area that puts you into 98 00:06:07.319 --> 00:06:10.079 thin ice, you can tell me that's a thin ice area. 99 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:12.560 It seems to me that it wasn't too long ago 100 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:17.160 that stamps were more Forever stamps were like twenty five cents, 101 00:06:17.240 --> 00:06:22.240 thirty cents or am I having a mind block? And 102 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:27.079 if we're twenty thirty cent forever stamps not only back 103 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:29.759 in the last century, but well back in the last century. 104 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:30.600 If you know what I'm saying. 105 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:34.439 Yeah, no, I'm a law enforcement officer. It's a little 106 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:37.639 out of my lane. However, I will say that, you know, 107 00:06:37.879 --> 00:06:39.759 I feel your pain there. You know, I feel like 108 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:42.120 everything is getting a bit more expensive. But I want 109 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:46.639 to remind people that the postal Service is completely self funded. 110 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:50.560 We are an entity that only takes money from our 111 00:06:50.600 --> 00:06:53.720 revenue and our products. You know, we are not taxpayer 112 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:57.920 funded like other agencies are. And you know, I always 113 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:00.519 tell people if you travel internationally, not if you go 114 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:02.759 up to Canada and you ask one of your neighbors 115 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:04.639 to the north how much it costs to mail something 116 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:08.040 across the street, it's north of a dollar fifty at 117 00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:11.720 this point up there. So again I understand that it 118 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:14.600 can be sticker shock for people and to see these increases, 119 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:18.680 but by and large, you know, our postal service keeps things, 120 00:07:18.759 --> 00:07:22.360 as you know, low prices. We possibly can to stay 121 00:07:22.399 --> 00:07:25.920 competitive and so you know, but the times are what 122 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:29.480 the times are, and so the increase I guess was necessary. 123 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:34.040 Well, I know that a lot more people the idea 124 00:07:34.040 --> 00:07:37.920 of actually getting getting a handwritten letter. I remember someone 125 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:40.079 once told me that they received a nice thank you 126 00:07:40.160 --> 00:07:44.959 note from George Herbert Walker Bush Bush forty one and 127 00:07:45.279 --> 00:07:48.920 they were thrilled that. You know, he would write handwritten notes, 128 00:07:49.000 --> 00:07:53.920 and I sometimes still write handwritten notes. But obviously the 129 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:58.160 days of people writing letters have been overtaken. But it's 130 00:07:58.199 --> 00:08:01.439 easier to do emails now. All of that which is fine, 131 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:05.879 has so I guess the amount of mail that gets 132 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:10.800 dropped into the post office boxes is diminishing. It's not 133 00:08:11.160 --> 00:08:15.680 becoming even though we have more people, it's diminishing. A 134 00:08:15.720 --> 00:08:19.959 lot more people now are sending Christmas card greetings. I 135 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.360 had more friends of mine who always would send a 136 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:27.439 Christmas card that that's going away. So that's putting a 137 00:08:27.439 --> 00:08:31.560 lot of pressure on any company, including the post office. Now, 138 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:35.919 you did say that there are some legitimate big box 139 00:08:35.960 --> 00:08:44.200 stores who maybe stockpiled stamps at some point in the 140 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:48.279 past and they can sell those. Do you know, off 141 00:08:48.360 --> 00:08:51.960 the top of your head from my listeners, which ones 142 00:08:52.039 --> 00:08:53.879 a legitimate that they can go to if they can 143 00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:56.720 get a little bit of a price break legitimately, or 144 00:08:57.000 --> 00:08:59.200 are you not in a position where you could disclose that. 145 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:02.519 No, the best way they can do is navigate through 146 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:07.960 the USPS dot DOUG site and go to Approved Postal Providers. 147 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:09.720 I believe you can type in your zip code too, 148 00:09:09.879 --> 00:09:14.919 and see locally what approved vendors can sell you books 149 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:17.279 of stamps at a flight discount. So that might be 150 00:09:17.320 --> 00:09:19.480 the best way that people could go and find that information. 151 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:24.879 Are those those places that you have to visit? You 152 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:28.639 can't order them? I guess that's why you're putting your 153 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:29.320 zip code in. 154 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:32.399 Yes, yeah, so this would be if you're like a 155 00:09:32.519 --> 00:09:34.759 costco or someplace and you want to pick up stamps 156 00:09:34.799 --> 00:09:37.759 while you're there. I believe they're one of the approved places. 157 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:40.799 So again, these are going to be places that you 158 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:43.720 are already walking into to purchase other things. But the 159 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:48.399 list again, it's under the Approved Postal Providers tab under 160 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:50.240 the Postal Services website. 161 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:52.480 Yeah. I'm looking for it and having a little bit 162 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:55.480 of a difficult difficult finding it. There's a shop here, 163 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:01.120 I see there's a shop dropped down. Nope, I don't. 164 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:04.559 I don't see that, So I'll have to navigate that more. 165 00:10:05.159 --> 00:10:08.600 Let me do this. Let's take a break and we'll 166 00:10:08.600 --> 00:10:11.720 come back and I yeah, we can't. Yeah, just I 167 00:10:11.799 --> 00:10:14.600 put into the us PS. It was the search button 168 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:17.440 to proved postal stamp providers that came back no results 169 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:20.720 were found. But that's okay. I'm sure it's here somewhere. 170 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:25.039 We'll figure it out. Let's uh, let let's see if 171 00:10:25.159 --> 00:10:27.519 folks want to ask you some questions. Not often we 172 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:29.960 don't get a postal respect. I think what I want 173 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:32.279 to follow up on is, okay, if people do have 174 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:38.159 these stamps, you're telling me that you folks have machines, 175 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:46.480 have abilities, as I understand it, too, discern whether or 176 00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:49.799 not the stamp is a legitimate stamp or whether it's 177 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:51.720 a counterfeit stamp. And you told me also that a 178 00:10:51.720 --> 00:10:54.320 lot of these are coming from overseas. So I want 179 00:10:54.360 --> 00:10:56.519 to talk a little bit about those things. And then 180 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:58.320 if you want to take some phone calls and people 181 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:01.360 want to call, we'll take some phone call. Not we'll 182 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:03.159 We'll let you go. But I just want I don't 183 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:06.120 want my listeners to be scammed out of anything. It's 184 00:11:06.120 --> 00:11:08.360 as simple as that. We'll take a break. My guest 185 00:11:08.440 --> 00:11:13.159 is US Postal Inspector Danielle Scrogie. Six seven two five 186 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:16.960 ten thirty is the number six one seven thirty. If 187 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:18.759 you have a question of common if you've ever bought 188 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:22.120 postal stamps. We're not going to take numbers or names 189 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:25.639 or anything like that. But uh, and if you want 190 00:11:25.639 --> 00:11:27.559 to ask a question, you're more than welcome to do 191 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:29.759 that as well. We'll be back on Nightside. Not often 192 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:33.320 do we get someone from the US Postal Inspector Inspection 193 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:36.759 Division to join us. Ben Danielle has joined us now twice. 194 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:41.360 Last year when we were talking about the postal mail carriers, 195 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:44.919 the mail carriers who were being robbed and their keys 196 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:46.799 were being taken from them. We'll get to all of that. 197 00:11:47.039 --> 00:11:49.639 I promise. We're coming right back on Nightside. 198 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:54.840 It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w Boston's News Radio. 199 00:11:55.919 --> 00:12:00.519 My guest is Daniel Scrogie. Daniel Danielle has Danielle, I 200 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:03.960 think you've intimidated people here. The phones are quiet. 201 00:12:04.919 --> 00:12:07.120 You tell you have found out the answer to your 202 00:12:07.279 --> 00:12:09.080 I found out the answer to your question too. Where 203 00:12:09.080 --> 00:12:12.720 people can go so on USPS dot com. When you 204 00:12:12.759 --> 00:12:14.879 go in there, you can use one of the tools 205 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:19.159 for locations to find a postal facility, and you can 206 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:23.000 actually narrow it down by different parameters, and one of 207 00:12:23.039 --> 00:12:25.480 them is a national retailer. So if you type in 208 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:28.039 your zip code and you kind of you know, tailor 209 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:30.480 it to what you're looking for. If you want something 210 00:12:30.519 --> 00:12:33.039 outside of a post office, you can go ahead and 211 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:35.039 do that, and then you can see there. I see 212 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:37.960 stop in shops and Walgreens and those types of places 213 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:38.720 are popping up. 214 00:12:38.840 --> 00:12:43.039 So people can they sell stamps the same price as 215 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:43.720 the post office? 216 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:47.720 Right, I don't know that off the top of my head. 217 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:51.039 I know that that people can definitely get them there though. 218 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:55.399 Yeah, right, no, I know that most of those retailers. 219 00:12:55.440 --> 00:12:58.600 But again just in terms of trying to get people 220 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:00.559 somewhere where they can get a little bit of a 221 00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:04.039 break on these stamps. So you told me that if 222 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:08.879 people do go out and buy these, I don't call 223 00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:11.240 them black market stamps, but stamps that are not through 224 00:13:11.240 --> 00:13:17.440 the US Postal Service, that your postal machines have the 225 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:24.279 ability to detect fake stamps, counterfeit stamps from actual post 226 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:25.320 office stamps. Correct. 227 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:28.480 There's a variety of ways that we can use to 228 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:32.919 detect counterfeit stamps. Our machines are also have the capability 229 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:35.840 built into them. So again, and what I wanted to 230 00:13:35.879 --> 00:13:38.159 make sure people know is you wouldn't know it by 231 00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:42.000 looking at these they become very sophisticated and very very 232 00:13:42.039 --> 00:13:46.000 good that it's very difficult for somebody that doesn't know 233 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:48.200 what they're looking for, and even quite frankly somebody who 234 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:51.840 does to with the naked eye determine what is real 235 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:54.120 versus what is counterfeit. That's how good they've gotten. 236 00:13:54.759 --> 00:13:57.600 So if the machine kicks out the letter with the 237 00:13:57.639 --> 00:14:01.279 stamp attached and says it's a counterfeit stamp, does that 238 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:03.559 get returned to the center. If I happen to make 239 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:07.200 a mistake and drop my letter to you in the 240 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:09.159 mail and I forget to put a stamp on it, 241 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:12.879 which I'm done, occasionally it comes back it says, you know, 242 00:14:13.000 --> 00:14:17.320 inadequate postage, and I you know, So what do you 243 00:14:17.399 --> 00:14:20.399 do when you find What do you think the post 244 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:22.720 office is likely to do? Because I think what you 245 00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:25.879 said to me was that you don't have an obligation 246 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:28.000 to return that to the person and tried to use 247 00:14:28.039 --> 00:14:30.600 a counterfeit stamp. Correct? 248 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:34.799 Correct, So yeah, so you're absolutely right. In July of 249 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:38.399 twenty twenty three, there was a change to the Domestic 250 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:42.200 Mail Manual, which is our postal bible, so to speak, 251 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:44.960 and within it it lays out all the regulations that 252 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:48.559 the Postal Service holds themselves to and again in July 253 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:52.720 of twenty twenty three, they change those regulations to say 254 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:55.919 that mail with counterfeit postage would be considered abandoned and 255 00:14:55.960 --> 00:14:59.279 disposed of at the discretion of the Postal Service, so 256 00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:02.120 the item would no longer be returned to the sender 257 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:05.279 as they once were. So if that happens, you know, 258 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:08.639 consumers will have to seek recourse from the vendor that 259 00:15:08.679 --> 00:15:11.759 they purchased their counterfeit postage for because the Postal Service 260 00:15:11.799 --> 00:15:12.919 won't give them relief. 261 00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:15.440 For that right. But what I'm saying is, if let's 262 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:19.320 say someone uses I don't know five counter counterfeit stamps 263 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:22.799 to pay five bills, if it's it's conceivable that all 264 00:15:22.840 --> 00:15:25.840 of those bills, instead of being returned to the to 265 00:15:25.879 --> 00:15:29.960 the sender who has used the counterfeit stamps, if the 266 00:15:30.000 --> 00:15:34.440 machine kicks those those letters out and those letters, those 267 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:38.799 those letters are disposed of or I assume shredded. Uh, 268 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:41.240 you're going to all of us realize that some of 269 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:44.879 the people that you had intended to send your payments 270 00:15:44.919 --> 00:15:47.960 to they're not going to get their payments. So you're 271 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:50.519 going to get double charged the next month and and 272 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:52.879 that's going to cause more complications in your life. So 273 00:15:54.120 --> 00:15:56.600 this this the word of advice that you give here 274 00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:00.720 is to is to be careful. I do have one 275 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:03.559 caller and I'd like to take her. If you'll stick 276 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:05.159 with me, we'll see if we get a couple more 277 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:07.399 on the other side of the news. Can you hang 278 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:11.759 with me for a little bit, Danielle sure? Okay? Danielle 279 00:16:12.600 --> 00:16:18.600 Scrogie Scroggy excuse me. Sproggy is a US Postal inspector, 280 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:22.679 And again, I don't want people to get ripped off. 281 00:16:23.320 --> 00:16:27.159 At the same time, I went into this to try 282 00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:29.759 to find out what information and if it was true 283 00:16:29.799 --> 00:16:32.759 that there are ways in which you could save some money. Look, 284 00:16:33.360 --> 00:16:36.960 I still mail letters and I put stamps on letters. 285 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:40.200 This might force me to as the price goes up, 286 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:43.159 might force me to change my attitude toward it, but 287 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:45.399 at least for now, I'm still a stamp guy. We'll 288 00:16:45.399 --> 00:16:47.600 be back on night's side right after the news break. 289 00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:50.200 Feel free to ask a question, make a comment, and 290 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:52.679 if you've been successful and use some of these stamps 291 00:16:52.679 --> 00:16:55.039 and you'd like to, we're not tracing numbers or anything 292 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:57.840 like that, so don't worry about that. Six one, seven, two, five, four, 293 00:16:57.960 --> 00:17:00.960 ten thirty six, one seven, one, ten thirty Back on 294 00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:02.039 night Side right after. 295 00:17:01.879 --> 00:17:09.279 This night Side with Dan Ray. I'm w BZY Boston's 296 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:10.519 news Radio. 297 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:15.079 Thank you very much. Eric with me is Danielle Scrogi 298 00:17:16.279 --> 00:17:20.319 shrogy Again. I'm getting better on this pronunciation. Yeah, I 299 00:17:20.359 --> 00:17:24.680 apologize us postal inspector. So we'll get some phone calls 300 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:28.000 here and again I ask you to be polite, as 301 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:30.759 you always are. My listeners are always polite. We'll start 302 00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:34.559 it off with Janice in Lynn. Hey, Janis welcome. You're 303 00:17:34.599 --> 00:17:37.000 on night Side. You're on with Danielle Scrogie. 304 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:42.359 Go right ahead, Yes, good evening, Dan and Danielle. I 305 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:45.599 My father used to collect stamps back in the age 306 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:48.000 and nineties, and once he passed in the two thousand, 307 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:51.519 he you know, left him and so the family we're 308 00:17:51.559 --> 00:17:53.200 all like, well, who's gonna take them? So I did, 309 00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:56.240 and very interesting ones, but they're you know, old, and 310 00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:59.319 they're like, you know, twenty two cents, thirty two cents, 311 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:02.480 twenty five and then I gave everybody in the family 312 00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:04.640 a hole pile each of them and we've been using 313 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:07.960 them for years and I hope that's still Okay, I 314 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.559 mean these are not used ones. They're you know, the 315 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:13.000 big sheets, and then I just break them up and 316 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:14.640 use them. But they have to put a lot on 317 00:18:14.680 --> 00:18:15.440 an envelope. 318 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:20.000 Well, so they have a value that they have a 319 00:18:20.119 --> 00:18:22.799 number on the stamp. So let's say it was twenty 320 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:25.960 two cents when it was purchased. And so what you're 321 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:29.359 saying is, can you use three of those stamps today? 322 00:18:29.559 --> 00:18:32.319 Three times twenty two would be sixty six plus a 323 00:18:32.359 --> 00:18:35.039 penny stamp? I assume you could, Danielle. 324 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:39.200 Again, this is a question mostly for a postal employee. 325 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:42.960 I am a law enforcement officer, but so but I 326 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:45.400 mean again, I would imagine as long as they are legitimate, 327 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:48.559 and are you are fixing the correct amount of postage 328 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:51.599 to it, and you're all set as far as I. 329 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:54.000 Don't think, let me jump in here and try to 330 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:57.359 help you out here, Danielle, I don't think, Jennet. You're 331 00:18:57.359 --> 00:19:00.799 not saying, can you take a twenty two sense stamp 332 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:05.680 that was bought thirty years ago and slap that on 333 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:09.680 a regular envelope and they would you would have that 334 00:19:09.720 --> 00:19:12.519 twenty two cents would not cover what the charge is today. 335 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:15.160 You understand that, right, Yeah? I put like four of 336 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:15.720 them on there. 337 00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:18.960 Yeah, no, I think that's I think that's fine. If 338 00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:21.839 you know they were purchased legally, they have a value 339 00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:24.240 on them twenty two cents. If you go to the 340 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.799 post office and you you know, there's different denominations. If 341 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:31.000 you have to send a package, and you know, of 342 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:33.240 course a lot of them know, they just meeter it. 343 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:35.720 But if you have to send a letter and it's 344 00:19:35.799 --> 00:19:38.079 you know, eighty seven cents because it has some extra 345 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:41.079 weight on it, they'll give you a they'll sell you 346 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:43.839 a sixty seven cent stamp and then find a couple 347 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:46.480 a twenty cents stamp of some sort. Yeah, they'll they'll 348 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:46.759 do that. 349 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:47.480 Yeah. 350 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:49.839 The other problem I have is every time I send 351 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:52.880 like a cod, especially when my nieces and nephews were 352 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:55.720 in college, I send a birthday cod with cash and 353 00:19:55.799 --> 00:19:58.519 if on them they never would get it. It was 354 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:01.039 like every time I mail one up, they never got them. 355 00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:04.680 Why would you send a card with cash? How long 356 00:20:04.680 --> 00:20:05.759 ago was this Janet? 357 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:11.160 This is back in the like O six seven around there. 358 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:17.400 But now, yeah, this this Danielle might be able to 359 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:19.079 talk about. Go ahead, Danielle. 360 00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:22.759 Yeah, again, I'm always trying to do my due diligence 361 00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:25.720 to protect everybody. And I really cannot stress enough. How 362 00:20:25.880 --> 00:20:28.599 do not mail cash? I have to tell my own 363 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:30.880 father not to mail my children cash, so I feel 364 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:35.200 the pain there. Do not mail cash. It's just you know, 365 00:20:35.559 --> 00:20:38.079 you know, somebody gets sticky fingers and they take the 366 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:40.079 year out that money. It's just not worth the risk. 367 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:41.599 Yeah, I don't. 368 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:44.119 I don't mail my things in wind anymore. I usually 369 00:20:44.119 --> 00:20:47.680 mail them in Peabody or Evily or somewhere else. 370 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:49.400 So you have better success. 371 00:20:49.400 --> 00:20:49.519 Well. 372 00:20:49.559 --> 00:20:51.720 The other thing too, is that they're also by the way, 373 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:54.559 you have to be careful when you send a check. 374 00:20:55.359 --> 00:20:57.559 And Danielle and I have talked about this before in 375 00:20:57.599 --> 00:20:59.880 the year, and I think she remembers it very well 376 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:03.240 that there are check washing schemes out there where they 377 00:21:03.319 --> 00:21:08.559 literally they were stealing keys from postal workers, uh, and 378 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:12.480 they were going in and as much as many envelopes 379 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:14.839 as they could and then if they found a check. 380 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:18.839 Whenever I send a check to anyone, I always wrap 381 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:21.279 it up inside a piece of paper because I think 382 00:21:21.319 --> 00:21:23.400 the easiest thing in the world for someone to look 383 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:26.160 at a at an envelope, hold it up to the 384 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:28.079 light and say, hey, that's just a check. Now. It 385 00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:30.279 might be five five dollars or might be worth five 386 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:32.079 hundred dollars, so you got to be careful about that. 387 00:21:32.119 --> 00:21:32.759 I use them. 388 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:35.400 I use special envelopes that you can't really see it. 389 00:21:36.039 --> 00:21:38.519 And I do still send out checks because I have 390 00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:41.480 to send them like the city for like XI tax 391 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:45.559 and things only pay one. I do make sure you 392 00:21:45.640 --> 00:21:46.559 can't see through. 393 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:47.920 All right, Jennet. 394 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:51.079 Okay, Jenne, Well, thank. 395 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:52.440 You very much for calling. Very nice call. 396 00:21:52.519 --> 00:21:54.559 Thanks, Okay, have a good evening you too. 397 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:56.680 Let me go to Patricia in Brighton. 398 00:21:56.759 --> 00:21:56.839 Hi. 399 00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:02.920 Patricia, you're on with Danielle of the US Postal Inspection Division. 400 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:05.240 Yes, thank you for taking my call. 401 00:22:05.799 --> 00:22:06.200