Why Postage Stamps are Still Relevant... and Still a Target for Fraud

In June, police officials in India exposed a counterfeit postage stamp scam worth INR 25 million ($290,000), while last year, in the US, a California resident pleaded guilty to defrauding the United States Postal Service out of more than $150 million through fake stamps. Similarly, in the UK, Royal Mail investigated the mass counterfeiting of its new barcoded stamps after customers reported being forced to pay a £5 penalty to collect mail due to counterfeit stamps.

These various cases of stamp counterfeiting lead to some larger questions: why are postage stamps a target for fraud? Is there still a viable market for stamps, and what role does authentication play in preserving their value and trust?

Still in demand

Many of us can’t recall the last time we used a stamp to send a letter. Yet in 2022, the US alone printed 13.8 billion stamps.

While the volume may be declining, it remains substantial, keeping the postage stamp market active and vulnerable to counterfeiting.