The Postage Menu
The Justice Department says Faheem Akram, 33, operated LabelsBank.com, an online business allegedly selling counterfeit U.S. postage. The advertised price was typically $2 per label, regardless of the package’s weight, size or destination.
Most postage systems ask irritating questions such as “Where is this going?” and “How large is the box?” The alleged operation apparently answered both with “two dollars, next customer.”
Millions of Tiny Lies
According to prosecutors, the site sold more than 5.1 million counterfeit labels. The government says the scheme caused losses exceeding $126 million, with the fake labels passing through the mail system as if the Postal Service had accidentally launched a suspiciously cheap discount program.
The charges include conspiracy, multiple counts involving making and selling counterfeit postage labels, and wire fraud. An indictment is an allegation, and Akram is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The Bottom Line
Counterfeit postage is not merely a bargain-hunter’s shortcut. It shifts the cost of shipping onto everyone else while turning the mail stream into a delivery system for fraud. If a website offers the same stamp price for a postcard and a refrigerator, the deal may have skipped quality control.
Source
U.S. Department of Justice: Pakistani national charged in counterfeit-postage case