Chicago customs officers seize over 161K counterfeit Forever Stamps coming from China

CHICAGO — More than 161,000 counterfeit U.S. Forever Stamps were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stationed in Chicago last weekend.

According to CBP, officers assigned to the Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team at the Chicago International Mail Branch stopped eight shipments arriving from China that contained 161,860 counterfeit stamps. If they were genuine, the stamps would have a face value of over $118,000.

CBP said they seized the stamps for violating trademark laws and were able to identify them as counterfeit based on the low invoice value, routing and the efforts taken to conceal them.

“Counterfeiters only care about making a profit. 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,” CBP Director of Field Operations LaFonda Sutton-Burke said. “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.”

According to the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the sale of counterfeit stamps on social media marketplaces, e-commerce sites via third-party vendors and other websites is growing.

While the print quality of the stamps seized last week was poor, CBP said counterfeit quality is improving, and warned that the average consumer may not be able to tell the difference from an authentic stamp.

USPIS warns that counterfeit stamps are often sold in bulk and at a significant discount, ranging from 25% to 50% off their face value. The steep discounts are often a sign that the stamps are counterfeit.

The postal service said it does not sell stamps at a discount and while some legitimate stamp sellers are able to offer discounts, USPIS says the markdowns are often slight.

Those who use counterfeit stamps knowingly could pay the price. The USPIS said forging or possession of counterfeit postage is a violation of federal law and could result in up to five years in prison.

Items that are found to be mailed with counterfeit stamps are also subject to being opened and disposed of as the postal service will consider them to be abandoned.

In order to ensure stamps are not counterfeit, USPIS recommends purchasing stamps directly from the U.S. Postal Service in person or online.

Visit the USPIS website for more information on how to report counterfeit stamps and sellers.