A mail piece verification system for processing mail pieces having associated therewith respective mail piece data. The system includes a plurality of postage metering systems for preparing mail pieces, a plurality of mail processing centers for receiving mail pieces and obtaining the respective mail piece data and a data center means in operative communication with the plurality of postage metering systems and the plurality of mail processing centers, the data center means including a plurality of account files corresponding to the plurality of postage metering systems. The data center means stores reset data in each of the plurality of account files representative of reset activity associated with the plurality of postage metering systems, respectively, receives respective mail piece data corresponding to the mail pieces from the plurality of mail processing centers, uses the respective mail piece data, storing empirical data in each of the plurality of account files representative of mailing activity associated with the plurality of postage metering systems, respectively, and conducts a forensic accounting analysis of the empirical data and the reset data associated with a selected postage metering system.