I BELIEVE that the USPS has a "digital postmark" system where you can use their service to forward a partially encrypted message to anyone who has e-mail or voicemail and THAT service is something like $0.05 per MB or something like that. Or they are working on it. This program is probabl the basis for this urban legend. Coupled with the bill that the telecommunications companies are (allegedly) trying to get passed that would charge a usage fee (something like $0.023/hour, from what I remember) for anyone using the Internet (allegedly the exact same bill that triggered Clinton to pass a moritorium on internet taxes!), you have a convincing hoax (probably a PAIR of hoaxes) with a VERY slight basis in fact.