With approximately 450,000,000 stamps used in the UK each year, they are an attractive target for fraudsters, which is why Royal Mail is introducing further measures to reduce the number of counterfeit stamps.
The postal operator launched barcoded stamps in February 2022 and has reduced the number of fakes in its network by around 90%, but it is now taking additional steps to help to build customer confidence and maintain pressure on the criminals who seek to profit from mass producing counterfeit stamps.
It is developing a new counterfeit stamp scanner in the Royal Mail app that will enable customers to scan stamp barcodes and check for themselves whether it is a recognized counterfeit stamp. The stamp scanner enhancement is in development and will be added to the Royal Mail app in due course.
Royal Mail is also introducing a new, independent, stamp expert in addition to its highly trained team of specialists. The independent expert will verify whether a stamp is genuine as part of Royal Mail’s escalation process for customer complaints. The decision will be fully independent of Royal Mail and the judgement binding.
The post will also increase the numbers of partnerships with retailers and online marketplaces to jointly stop the sale of counterfeit stamps, and will increase activity to raise public awareness about counterfeit stamps, including revised guidance and advice to help customers protect themselves.
Pause on counterfeit fines
While the new counterfeit stamp scanner is in development, Royal Mail will temporarily pause the collection of the surcharge for recipients until the app is fully deployed. During this intervening period, stickers will be applied to items to advise the recipient that the stamp used has scanned as counterfeit.
At the same time, Royal Mail will increase efforts to charge the sender of items posted with a counterfeit stamp, rather than the recipient, wherever possible.
Nick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said, “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.
“We want our customers to buy stamps with confidence and always recommend that customers only purchase stamps from Post Offices and other reputable high street retailers, and not to buy stamps online – unless from the official Royal Mail shop.”