Holiday Mail Destroyed by Fake Stamps

Holiday Mail Destroyed by Fake Stamps

By Greg Collier

A bargain that looks innocent. A roll of stamps that seems legit. And a holiday gift that never arrives because it was destroyed before Christmas morning.

A Holiday Deal You Thought You Could Trust—and the Lie Hidden Under the Seal

Every December brings the same rush. Packages taped, cards addressed, and long lines at the post office. So when people see what appears to be a great deal online—half-price Forever stamps or bulk rolls for a fraction of their usual cost—the temptation is immediate.

But this year, postal inspectors say scammers have perfected a new twist: counterfeit postage so realistic that victims don’t realize they’ve been duped until their gifts vanish into the system. The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) reports a surge in these fake stamps, many sold through shady websites and fast-moving Facebook Marketplace accounts designed to disappear as soon as the money lands.

And the stakes are higher than anyone thinks. Under a new United States Postal Service (USPS) policy, any mail found with counterfeit postage is pulled from circulation, not returned, and treated as abandoned mail. In other words, the package doesn’t come back to you. It doesn’t limp forward to the destination. It gets destroyed.

What’s Going On

  • A fake “discount” site appears. Scam websites advertise Forever stamps at impossibly low prices, often around fifty percent off, and claim they are sourced from bulk liquidation or overstock events.
  • Facebook Marketplace gets flooded. Scammers create throwaway accounts and offer rolls of stamps at deep discounts, relying on urgency and holiday panic to push buyers into fast decisions.
  • The stamps look real. Today’s counterfeit postage is so convincing that most customers cannot tell the difference. Some fakes even mimic micro-printing and texture.
  • USPS detects the truth. The mail-sorting system flags the counterfeit stamp. The package is automatically rejected.
  • Your gift disappears. Because counterfeit postage is treated as abandoned mail, USPS destroys the package. No refund. No return. No notice besides the tracking that never updates.
  • Scammers vanish. By the time victims realize what happened, the website is gone, the Marketplace account is deleted, and any payment made is irreversible.

Why It Works

  • Holiday desperation. People are overwhelmed, rushed, and eager to save time and money during peak mailing season.
  • Hyper-realistic counterfeits. New printing methods make fake stamps nearly indistinguishable from genuine ones.
  • The illusion of legitimacy. Big-box retailers sometimes offer minor discounts, which makes large “online sale” claims feel believable.
  • Platform trust. Buyers assume Facebook Marketplace and discount websites are policed more tightly than they really are.
  • Harsh USPS consequences. Most people have no idea that a counterfeit stamp means total loss of the package, not a delay or return.

Red Flags

  • Stamps advertised at more than a tiny markdown, especially anything close to fifty percent off.
  • Sellers with newly created social-media accounts or no sale history.
  • Websites with generic names, vague contact information, or claims of “bulk liquidation.”
  • Rolls of stamps being sold outside approved postal providers or major retailers.
  • Payment requests through apps or direct transfers instead of standard retail checkout systems.

Quick Tip: If you see “Half-Price Stamps”, assume it’s a scam. USPS does not discount Forever stamps anywhere near that amount.

What You Can Do

  • Buy stamps only from USPS, official postal providers, or major retailers.
  • Check the approved provider list when in doubt.
  • Avoid deals that promise large bulk savings or massive last-minute holiday discounts.
  • Report suspected counterfeit stamps to the Postal Inspection Service.
  • Warn family and friends so their holiday packages don’t meet the same fate.

If You’ve Been Targeted

  • Contact your bank or card issuer if you paid through a card and believe the seller was fraudulent.
  • Report the seller or website to the platform where you found it.
  • File a report with the Postal Inspection Service detailing the purchase and providing screenshots.
  • Keep any counterfeit stamps you received. Inspectors may request them as evidence.

Final Thoughts

This scam doesn’t just steal your money. It steals your mail. A single counterfeit stamp can erase an entire package—letters, gifts, keepsakes—all destroyed before they ever had a chance to reach the people you care about. Holiday mail already brings its own stresses. Don’t let a fake bargain be the reason your Christmas package never makes it past the first sorting machine. The safest choice is the simplest one: buy postage from trusted sources and avoid any offer that seems too good to be true. If a deal feels off, assume the stamp is fake—because the scammers are counting on you not to look too closely.

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