Be on the lookout for counterfeit postage stamps

Be on the lookout for counterfeit postage stamps

HOMEWOOD, Ill. —

The next time you mail a letter, look closely at your stamps. According to the U.S. Postal Service, they're seeing an increase in counterfeit stamps.

A first-class postage stamp costs $0.73 these days. So, a sheet would cost you $14.60 at the post office. If you buy them there, you know they're real.

But you might be tempted to buy them on social media or e-commerce sites for significant savings. U.S. Postal Inspector Julie Nicholson-Morgan said, “Kind of a telltale sign of that is they're going to offer like a huge discount, 20 to 50 percent off the retail price of the stamp. Those are not going to be legitimate stamps.”

Counterfeit stamps are even being used in a mail-from-home scam. Nicholson-Morgan added, “The stamps are being used as kind of an incentive for like pyramid schemes that are targeting the elderly like this kind of mail at home, you know, mail postcards and whatnot. And they'll send you the stamps for whatever price. And then they'll throw in a bonus coil of 100 stamps as like a signing bonus for working with them. And those are, more likely than not, going to be counterfeit.”

Criminals and technology have made it difficult to spot the fakes, but postal inspectors say if you're suspicious, look for printing that could be just a little off, and Google the image to make sure the postal service produced a stamp with that image. If in doubt, report it on the U.S. Postal Service Inspection website.

So what happens if you use a counterfeit stamp when you mail your next letter? It is a crime, and it's possible you could be prosecuted. The letter you mail will be treated as abandoned mail, so the postmaster has the discretion to open it or destroy it.

Counterfeit stamps can cost the postal service millions in lost revenue. The inspection service forensic teams and investigators are going after those who sell them. A conviction can result in five years in prison.