Royal Mail has recently announced the suspension of £5 fines for recipients of mail with counterfeit stamps in response to a surge in fake stamps being circulated, particularly from China. The introduction of a barcode-based system has inadvertently led to an increase in fraudulent stamps, causing frustration among customers penalized unknowingly for receiving mail with bogus stamps.
To tackle the growing problem, Royal Mail is rolling out various measures to address the issue of counterfeit stamps. One of these steps includes the development of a new counterfeit stamp scanner within their app to enable customers to verify the legitimacy of barcodes. Additionally, stickers will be affixed to items identified with counterfeit stamps to alert the recipients, while efforts will be focused on holding senders of such items accountable rather than penalizing the recipients. The Chinese origins of many of these fraudulent stamps have sparked complaints, with concerns raised about economic implications due to the influx of millions of counterfeit stamps into Britain. The transition to barcoded stamps last July exacerbated the problem, with reports emerging that small retailers had unknowingly acquired forged stamps in large quantities.
In response to the rising complaints and challenges posed by counterfeit stamps, Royal Mail is intensifying its efforts. This includes the appointment of an independent expert to verify stamp authenticity and forming stronger partnerships with retailers and online marketplaces to combat the sale of fake stamps. While there have been reports of Chinese suppliers offering to produce counterfeit Royal Mail stamps, the Chinese embassy in London has dismissed these allegations as "absurd." Nick Landon, Royal Mail’s chief commercial officer, emphasized the company's commitment to stamp out counterfeit stamps by implementing enhanced security features on barcoded stamps. Landon also encouraged customers to buy stamps with confidence, recommending purchases only from post offices and reputable high street retailers, and cautioning against buying stamps online from unofficial sources.