{"id":1438,"date":"2024-05-10T08:20:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T07:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.redstarwealth.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1438"},"modified":"2024-05-06T12:08:57","modified_gmt":"2024-05-06T11:08:57","slug":"5-penalty-for-fake-stamps-temporarily-stopped","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.redstarwealth.co.uk\/blog\/5-penalty-for-fake-stamps-temporarily-stopped\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a35 Penalty for Fake Stamps Temporarily Stopped"},"content":{"rendered":"

Royal Mail is temporarily putting a stop to the \u00a35 penalty they were charging to anyone receiving a letter with a counterfeit stamp.<\/p>\n

Barcoded Stamps and Online Scanners<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In February 2022, Royal Mail launched barcoded stamps in an attempt to \u2018stamp out\u2019 the number of fakes in circulation.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThe 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\u201d <\/em><\/strong>\u2013 Nick Landon, chief commercial officer of Royal Mail<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe move is part of the Company\u2019s 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.\u201d <\/strong>\u2013 Royal Mail website\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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\u2026<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Counterfeit Stamps are Illegal<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

You cannot:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Knowingly reuse or sell used stamps for postage<\/li>\n
  • Knowingly possess, sell or use counterfeit stamps as a means of postage<\/li>\n
  • Import, distribute, or sell counterfeit stamps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    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.<\/p>\n

    Avoiding Counterfeit Stamps<\/h2>\n

    You should look out for stamps that:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Cost less than the official Royal Mail prices<\/li>\n
    • Have missing, uneven, damaged, or removed security ovals on either side of the stamp<\/li>\n
    • Have uneven borders<\/li>\n
    • Are stuck on greaseproof paper<\/li>\n
    • Are unusually coloured<\/li>\n
    • Are unusually shiny<\/li>\n
    • Come in sheets other than 25, 50 or 100<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Royal Mail is temporarily putting a stop to the \u00a35 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1439,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[1188,1184,1185,1187,167,1186,1191,1180,1183,1182,1192,1179,1190,1189,1181],"yoast_head":"\n\u00a35 Penalty for Fake Stamps Temporarily Stopped - Red Star Wealth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Royal Mail is temporarily putting a stop to the \u00a35 penalty they were charging to anyone receiving a letter with a counterfeit stamp.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.redstarwealth.co.uk\/blog\/5-penalty-for-fake-stamps-temporarily-stopped\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u00a35 Penalty for Fake Stamps Temporarily Stopped - 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