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The single biggest tell is the price: the Postal Inspection Service says counterfeit stamps are typically sold at twenty to fifty percent off face value, mostly by online and overseas sellers. Real stamps carry phosphorescent tagging that glows under UV light, plus microprinting and precise perforations that fakes botch. Mail bearing counterfeit postage is treated as abandoned and can be opened and disposed of.
| Check | Genuine stamps | Counterfeits |
|---|---|---|
| The price you paid | Face value, or a very small discount from approved resellers | Twenty to fifty percent off: the Postal Inspection Service calls this the tell-tale sign |
| UV light test | Phosphorescent tagging glows: sorting machines verify this automatically | Usually no glow, or the wrong pattern |
| Microprinting | Tiny legible text visible under magnification | Blurred, illegible, or missing entirely |
| Perforations | Clean, precise, uniform edges from precision tooling | Rough or irregular edges from basic cutters |
| Paper and adhesive | Distinct texture and thickness, quality gum backing | Too glossy, too thin, or peels unevenly |
USPS does not sell stamps below face value, ever. The only legitimate discounts come through approved resellers with formal agreements with the Postal Service, and those are very small. So a listing offering Forever stamps at a steep discount, especially in bulk, especially from a seller outside the United States or on a social media marketplace, is counterfeit until proven otherwise. Scammers also advertise with photos of real stamps, so what you see in the listing is not what arrives in the mail. If the deal looks like a clearance sale, remember: the post office does not run clearance sales.
This is the part buyers underestimate. Under changes to the Domestic Mail Manual, items mailed with counterfeit postage are considered abandoned and are subject to being opened and disposed of at the Postal Service's discretion. Your letter does not get returned to you with a note; it can simply disappear. And sorting machines catch fakes routinely: genuine stamps carry phosphorescent tagging that fluoresces under UV light, and automated equipment checks for it as mail flies through. A fake that looks perfect to your eye still fails the machine's test. Beyond lost mail, buying or using counterfeit postage is a federal crime under the counterfeiting statutes, carrying fines and prison time.
Start with a side-by-side comparison against a stamp bought at the post office. Look at print sharpness first: genuine stamps have crisp images and consistent color, while fakes often look slightly blurry or washed out. Run a finger along the perforations: real ones feel clean and uniform. Hold the stamp up to light and compare the paper. If you have a UV light (even a cheap one), check for the phosphorescent glow. None of these is conclusive alone, but fakes usually fail more than one check. When in doubt, do not use the stamp: the cost of one legitimate stamp is far less than a lost letter or an investigation.
Buy from the post office counter, usps.com, or an Approved Postal Provider. Big-box and warehouse retailers sometimes sell stamps at a small discount through resale agreements with USPS; those are legitimate and the discount is modest. Be wary of third-party sellers on marketplaces and e-commerce sites, newly created web stores, and any seller with no verifiable physical address. If you already bought suspicious stamps, report the seller through the Postal Inspection Service's Counterfeit Postage Reporting System, which has accepted these reports since September 2025. To report a mail crime more broadly, the Inspection Service's line is 1-877-876-2455.
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