SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center:Phony postage stamp discounts are scamming online buyers: What to know

Just as you are SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Centerscrambling to send those last-minute holiday cards, maybe with a last-minute gift card to a favorite store or restaurant tucked inside, we're being warned of yet another scam.

OK, wait for it. Ever hear of the postage stamp scam?

Seriously?

Oddly enough, an uptick of consumers are complaining that they're running into fake websites selling counterfeit postage stamps at bargain prices, according to a December alert from the Better Business Bureau.

I guess it shouldn't be all that surprising as consumer watchdogs told us early in the season to expect a flurry of phony websites. The fake sites aim to rip off consumers by offering fantastic bargains. What you'll get can range from counterfeit goods to oddball items in a box, like cheap 3D glasses, instead of what you ordered. Or you might spend money and receive nothing at all.

Shoppers need to be careful because the crooks will impersonate big name brands, mirroring the look and design of the legitimate site, like Lululemon.

We're also seeing websites impersonating the United States Postal Service.

A Google search for 'Can I Buy Stamps Online?' can trick you

The con artists know that consumers will do a Google search to find all sorts of items being sold online, including holiday stamps, when they're in a rush and don't have time to go to a store or the post office.

"After a quick Google search for stamps, you click on a link that advertises a 50% discount on stamps," according to the BBB warning.

But, again this shouldn't be a surprise, the U.S. Postal Service isn't offering any half-off sales on stamps. Instead, the U.S. Postal Service is raising the price of its first-class Forever Stamps to 68 cents from 66 cents, beginning Jan. 21.

Yet, scammers are hoping that you'll suspend reality a bit when you spot a deal online and think, 'Wow, I just found a great bargain while I had absolutely no time to go to the post office.'

So you buy the stamps. You enter your personal information and credit card details.

"Later, you see the charge to your credit card was made by someone’s PayPal account − not USPS," the BBB warned.

When you try to contact the customer service department, you might get an email back from a scammer who continues to impersonate someone from the post office.

One consumer told the BBB: “I called my bank and then emailed the help line listed on the page about canceling my order. I received an email from [email protected] stating that I was being refunded. However, that pending refund transaction later disappeared from my credit card account.”

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How can you tell if new stamps are fake?

The most frequently counterfeit stamp typically has the American flag on it.

But Andrea Avery, assistant inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, noted in a YouTube video that counterfeiters are using designs of other stamps, too, adding that one seizure included batches of the more colorful patriotic spiral or starburst stamps. These stamps were initially issued in 2016.

I spotted an offer online for 100 of the spiral Forever USA stamps, stamps with a gold star in the middle of the design, selling for $29.99 − which amounts to roughly 30 cents a stamp at a time when the price of one Forever Stamp is now 66 cents.

A Forever stamp bought years ago, even if you paid far less for it, can be used now to mail a one-ounce letter. That's true no matter how high the price of stamps goes in the future. It's "Forever."

The first Forever Stamp was issued in April 2007 and it featured an image of the Liberty Bell.

One consumer reported to the BBB: “I ordered postage stamps online. They do not work and if you look at them closely, they are not legitimate.”

The U.S. Postal Service issued an alert in July to warn consumers to watch out for bogus stamps, noting that the number of counterfeit stamps being sold from online platforms has escalated. Other warnings about fake stamps were issued back during the 2021 holiday season, too.

"Scammers peddle fake stamps on social media marketplaces, e-commerce sites via third-party vendors, and other websites," according to the 2023 alert from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

Online promotions might offer fake stamps at 20% to 50% below their face value.

It's best to buy stamps from the post office or from approved vendors, which can include legitimate "big box" or warehouse retailers who can provide an extremely small but legitimate discount on postage stamps through resale agreements with the U.S. Postal Service.

Major retailers, such as Kroger, CVS and Walgreens, also sell books of stamps, if you're unable to get to a post office.

Costco Wholesale had 100 stamps − five books of 20 stamps each − listed online for $65.75. That's a 25-cent savings total for Forever Stamps that cost 66 cents each. You're saving a quarter. Shipping and handling are included. The stamps are also sold at the stores.

The tips for avoiding the stamp scam are similar to those offered to avoid other online shopping scams: Check the website's URL for slightly misspelled words or other red flags of a fake site. Be extremely wary of deals you see promoted on social media.

One final tip that will last forever: Keep in mind that some deals really are way too good to be true.

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter) @tompor.