Royal Mail Launches App to Detect Counterfeit Stamps

Following complaints over £5 fines being dished out to the recipients of letters and parcels suspected of carrying counterfeit postage stamps, the UK postal service, Royal Mail, has launched a scanner tool in its app that lets customers check if a stamp is counterfeit.

In addition, the service has appointed an independent arbitrator to settle disputes about stamp genuineness.

Since August last year, the only regular stamps valid for postage in the UK have been those with unique 2D datamatrix codes, which were introduced in an effort to facilitate sorting operations and eradicate forgeries.

However, in the months following the introduction of the stamps, the UK postal system witnessed an influx of counterfeit stamps closely resembling the genuine item, as a result of which the Royal Mail began levying the £5 fines. However, many of the customers affected claimed the stamps had been purchased from Post Office branches, reputable retailers, or even Royal Mail’s website.