No one wants to get ripped off, especially when mailing holiday stamps or wedding invitations.
But the problem is that counterfeit stamps are being sold everywhere this year, and if you use them, there's now a good chance your mailed items won't go through.
Traylen Jones was taking her baby out to buy some last-minute holiday cards and wanted to make sure the stamps she buys are the real thing, after hearing reports of counterfeits circulating,
"I'm currently getting postage together to send to my dad , and I would hate for him not to get his card," she said.
But in this digital age, counterfeit stamps are becoming a real problem.
Krista Folzenlogan owns a card and stationery shop, Poeme.
As much as she is aware of counterfeits through her job, she recently ended up buying a batch of phony stamps.
"These are counterfeit, and these are legitimate," she said, comparing two printed sheets of USPS Forever stamps.
But to the naked eye, it was impossible to tell any difference.
Folzenlogan says she inadvertently bought the stamps from a site selling discount postage.
But she has since learned, she says, that "a stamp is a tax, essentially, and you don't get a sale price on a tax."
As the problem grows, the USPS is fighting back against counterfeit postage, scanning mail to make sure stamps are legitimate.
As of the past year, the Postal Service says any items mailed with fake stamps are now subject to being thrown away.
How to protect yourself
Melanie McGovern with the Better Business Bureau says high tech printers are making the problem worse than ever.
"It's really important when you're buying stamps to use an authorized retailer," she said.
If you’re shopping online, McGovern says make sure the website is legitimate, and not one that just popped up.
Scammers often make spoofed versions of the USPS website, so she says be careful when clicking links, and check the URL carefully.
Next, don't trust ads for $25% or 50% off on stamps you see on social media. The USPS does not offer stamps for 25% off (or more).
If the price seems too good to be true, McGovern says, "that's when you should be a little bit skeptical."
Back at Poeme, Kristaf Folzenlogan is now on a mission.
She tells clients of her card shop to be suspicious of any stamps sold for much less than face value.
"What happens is people purchase them, thinking they are getting a good deal, and then all of your mail gets flagged and destroyed," she said.
And if you are mailing out holiday cards, or 100 expensive wedding invitations, she says that is no time to shop around for discount stamps.
That way you don't waste your money.
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