Detective: Scammers selling counterfeit stamps

Justin Strawser, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
·2 min read

Feb. 7—SUNBURY — Northumberland County Detective Degg Stark is warning residents of a post office scam of counterfeit stamps at discounted rates.

Stark said local residents and municipalities have recently fallen prey to this scam. One specific website — https://www.stampsshop.net — was used by a Northumberland businessman who alerted the Northumberland County District Attorney's Office.

"Some big box retailers and other approved vendors who have agreements with the USPS may offer slight discounts on the purchase of U.S. Forever Stamps but discounts of 20 to 50 percent should be viewed as scams," said Stark. "If you ordered these stamps online and entered your credit card or financial account information, change your login credentials immediately."

Then, Stark said, notify the issuer of the credit card; make an online report to the United States Postal Service — Office of Inspector General at https://www.uspsoig.gov/hotline; and make an online report to the United States Postal Inspection Service at https://www.uspis.gov.

The stamps look authentic to the naked eye but will be detected and rejected once the postage is scanned by the USPS, Stark said.

The United States Postal Inspection Service in a media release advised residents to "keep scrolling" if they find substantial discounts of up to 50 percent off an order of United States Forever Stamps.

"They're probably counterfeit," according to the federal agency. "To ensure your trusted communication arrives at its destination without delay, the Postal Inspection Service wants you to be aware of — and avoid —phony postage."

The number of counterfeit stamps being sold from online platforms has escalated, the agency reported.

"Scammers peddle fake stamps on social media marketplaces, e-commerce sites via third-party vendors, and other websites," according to the agency. "Counterfeit stamps are often sold in bulk quantities at a significant discount—anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of their face value. That's a tell-tale sign they're bogus."

Purchasing stamps from a third-party wholesaler or online websites can be unpredictable, according to the agency.

"You have no way to verify whether they are genuine or not," according to the agency.

The Postal Inspection Service recommends purchasing from Approved Postal Providers. Through a series of Approved Postal Provider agreements, customers can purchase stamps, mail a letter, or ship a package without ever visiting a traditional Post Office. Approved vendors can include legitimate 'big box' or warehouse retailers who do provide very small discounts on postage stamps, but this is through resale agreements with the Postal Service, according to the agency.

To locate an Approved Postal Provider, visit https://tools.usps.com/find-location.html.