Federal agents in Chicago seized nearly 162,000 counterfeit U.S. Postal Service “forever” stamps last weekend.
U.S. Customs and Border Protections officers working at the Chicago International Mail Branch stopped eight shipments from China containing 161,860 fake stamps, the agency said Thursday.
If genuine, the stamps would have a face value of about $118,000, the agency said.
The agency said the stamps seized were of poor quality but said quality is improving, and consumers may not be able to distinguish the fake stamps to real ones.
“Counterfeiters only care about making a profit,” said LaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, director of field operations in Chicago. “They don’t care about the effect that fake postage has on your ability to send important mail and overall impacts the U.S. economy. Our officers and specialists are some of the most highly trained in the nation, and their level of expertise is evident with these seizures. CBP officers were able to identify these very realistic counterfeits and stop them from reaching their destinations.”
The agency also said there was an uptick in counterfeit U.S. Postal Service stamps, especially around the holidays like Valentine’s Day.
Customs officers and postal inspectors seized more than 5 million counterfeit stamps in fiscal year 2024, according to the postal service. The most commonly seen counterfeit stamp is the Flag Stamp.
According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the number of fake stamps being sold online has increased. Scammers use social media marketplaces, e-commerce sites via third-party vendors and other websites to sell counterfeit stamps.
Though the quality has improved, fake postage stamps can be easily spotted because they are often sold in bulk and at discounts from 25% to 50% off face value. The postal service said they do not sell stamps at a discount, and while some legitimate sellers may offer discounts, the markdowns are slight.
Officers seized the stamps for violating trademark laws. The stamps were determined to be fake based on “the very low invoice value, the routing, and the extraordinary efforts undertaken to conceal the stamps,” the agency said.
People caught forging or in possession of counterfeit postage stamps could face up to five years in prison, the postal service said.