Washington, DC – 9/17/26 – The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is warning consumers about counterfeit postage being sold online. This crime threatens both the integrity of the U.S. Mail and the people who put their trust in this 250-year-old American institution. As part of the Postal Inspection Service’s mission to protect postal employees, consumers, and the nation’s mail system, U.S. postal inspectors aggressively investigate schemes and scams involving counterfeit stamps and labels and pursue the criminals responsible for producing and distributing these illegal materials.
Postal inspectors in the Postal Inspection Service’s Los Angeles Division identified thousands of packages with counterfeit labels entering the mailstream over an extended period of time. Although the subjects mailing the packages were using several different return names and addresses, postal inspectors identified and arrested Young Jiang and Lijuan “Angela” Chen as the people behind the thousands of counterfeit labels. The pair was responsible for more than $171 million in losses to the U.S. Postal Service. Jiang pled guilty in federal court to conspiracy, was ordered to pay $95,000 in restitution, and was sentenced to eight months in prison. Chen also pled guilty to federal conspiracy charges and was sentenced in July 2026 to two and a half years in prison.
New reporting mechanism
The Postal Inspection Service is offering a new reporting system that consumers can use to help combat these crimes. Consumers who suspect counterfeit stamp and postage fraud or revenue fraud schemes can visit the Counterfeit Postage Reporting System and provide known details. Reports gathered through this tool will give the Postal Inspection Service information for its investigative efforts and help to thwart those focused on fraudulently using the mail system.
Prevention tips:
While the Postal Inspection Service diligently pursues those who create, sell, and purposefully utilize counterfeit postage, consumers can follow these simple tips to avoid counterfeit postage stamps and labels:
- Don’t purchase discounted stamps or labels online, they are likely fake.
- If you are hired to reship packages for a company using their postage labels, it’s most likely a scam.
- If a package you ordered is not delivered because of counterfeit postage, report the seller to the Postal Inspection Service.
Missing the return of signature required pre payment security that should have been returned to me weeks ago. The envelope was for my rental property and has my social security number, income and other very private information that could lead to identity fraud in the wrong hands . I received a preview that it was going to be delivered back to me after 3 attempts for a signature of recipients receiving it. What do I do now? I have an image of the mail transaction that says resend to my address but I never received it? Am I in danger of fraud or identity theft now? Where is it?
Thank you. You would need to contact the official USPS – we cannot answer your questions. http://www.usps.com