Counterfeit postage fraud costs USPS $5.8 billion

Source: This report is based on an official public release from USPS Office of Inspector General. PULSE organizes and summarizes public government communications.

The U.S. Postal Service has lost almost $5.8 billion to counterfeit postage fraud, according to the Postal Service's Office of Inspector General.

The office began fieldwork in 2025 to review how fake postage labels and stamps defraud the Postal Service. The investigation uncovered numerous fraud schemes, resulting in five reports that have identified the $5.8 billion in losses to date.

To prevent future fraud, the Postal Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service must address gaps in detecting and intercepting fraudulent package labels and stamps being generated both domestically and internationally, the office said.