Royal Mail is temporarily putting a stop to the £5 penalty they were charging to anyone receiving a letter with a counterfeit stamp.
Barcoded Stamps and Online Scanners
There has recently been a rise in the number of fake stamps in circulation, leading to many people purchasing counterfeits without their knowledge, and recipients of letters with fake stamps being fined.
In February 2022, Royal Mail launched barcoded stamps in an attempt to ‘stamp out’ the number of fakes in circulation.
“The combination of new barcoded stamps with added security features and Royal Mail actively working with retailers, online marketplaces and law enforcement authorities, has led to a 90% reduction in counterfeit stamps” – Nick Landon, chief commercial officer of Royal Mail
“The move is part of the Company’s extensive and ongoing modernisation drive and will allow the unique barcodes to facilitate operational efficiencies, enable the introduction of added security features and pave the way for innovative services for customers.” – Royal Mail website
Despite the introduction of these barcodes, more work clearly needs to be done to reduce the number of counterfeit stamps, hence the introduction of an online scanner…
Royal Mail is currently developing an online scanner which will enable their customers to determine whether a stamp is genuine or fake. They have decided to pause the penalty charge until after this scanner is introduced.
Counterfeit Stamps are Illegal
It is illegal for you to knowingly use or distribute counterfeit stamps or re-used stamps. It is classed as fraudulent activity wherein you are avoiding paying Royal Mail the full amount required for the postal service received.
You cannot:
- Knowingly reuse or sell used stamps for postage
- Knowingly possess, sell or use counterfeit stamps as a means of postage
- Import, distribute, or sell counterfeit stamps
At the moment, it is difficult for us to tell whether our stamps are genuine or not, but the online scanner currently being developed should help with this.
Avoiding Counterfeit Stamps
You should look out for stamps that:
- Cost less than the official Royal Mail prices
- Have missing, uneven, damaged, or removed security ovals on either side of the stamp
- Have uneven borders
- Are stuck on greaseproof paper
- Are unusually coloured
- Are unusually shiny
- Come in sheets other than 25, 50 or 100
However, many counterfeits may not show any of these tell-tale signs and so can be hard for us to spot. One step that can be taken in the meantime is to buy your stamps from big reputable sellers, and avoid ones sold by online retailers.