Royal Mail plans to tackle counterfeit stamps

Royal Mail has paused £5 fines and announced new measures to fight counterfeit stamps.

In 2022, it added a barcode to help stop counterfeits. However, fake stamps are still circulating and a recent investigation by The Telegraph found four fraudulent stamp suppliers in China.

Fines of £5 were initially issued to recipients of post using a counterfeit stamps; however, this charge has been suspended while it works to combat the issue. The suspension is expected to last until at least the end of July. Instead, it will focus on issuing fines to the senders of post using a fake stamp.

Below, we explain how Royal Mail plans to combat fake stamps and how to avoid buying them.

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Royal Mail measures

New measures announced by Royal Mail include a counterfeit stamp scanner available on the Royal Mail app. This will allow you to scan stamp barcodes to check if they’re counterfeit, but is still being developed and isn't available yet.

Royal Mail has also appointed an independent stamp expert to verify whether a stamp is genuine in instances where customer complaints are escalated. 

Royal Mail will also increase its collaboration with retailers and online marketplaces to stop the sale of counterfeit stamps and raise public awareness, including revised guidance, which can be found on the Royal Mail website.

Avoiding counterfeit stamps

Royal Mail will now apply stickers to letters where the stamp used has been scanned as counterfeit. These letters will be returned to the sender, who will be charged £5 for using a counterfeit stamp.

To avoid buying fake stamps, you should only purchase them from official sources. You can buy genuine stamps from the official Royal Mail website, most supermarkets and stationery shops, or your nearest post office.

You can also print stamps yourself using the Royal Mail Click and Drop service, where you can print postage labels or ask for the label to be brought to your door when your postie collects the package. You can also use this service via the Royal Mail app.

Signs of a fake stamp are:

• Stamps advertised at really low prices – Royal Mail does not sell stamps with large discounts.
• Stamps that aren't sold via official sources, such as the Royal Mail website and post offices.
• An unusually shiny surface, unusual colouration or inaccurate perforations.

If you suspect a stamp is counterfeit you can report it using Royal Mail’s online form, or call its customer services team on 03457 740 740.