Counterfeit Forever Stamps

Seriously - why don't we print current Chinese issues by the billion and sell them to the Chinese populace at 30% of face?????

Top two look real as both are tagged as I would expect the tagging to look. Top one is on a bright paper so the tagging appears more blue then green. The taggant is also not very dense on the top one adding to the bluish effect. You can see examples on the stampsmarter tagging DB. Bottom one I would want to see if tagged or not.

I will try to get a good photo of the bottom stamp. The stamps under the light that appear blue looked more white in person. They were also glossy. I need to gather as much information as I can and most time opinions of seasoned collectors can be better than most other ways. I need to get to the point where I'm 110% sure the stamp I have deemed counterfeit is actually counterfeit and this is hard with the only forensic tool is a 40-50 year old SW-UV lamp. I need a magnification loop. I need to document all variations of genuine stamps from the past 5-6 years. Such as the variations in tagging, colors of the tagging, perforations, printing, etc etc. Which is difficult with a seemingly endless overload of designs. Now it's hard to tell because I couldn't get a good light for taking the pic, but if these are both genuine BCA stamps from coils, why does one glow differently. BCA used two different tags for coils? Unlikely because these are rare to find. Now here's another kicker, I also believe there are genuine coils with some stamps missing tagging all together. Which makes things difficult for speedy detection of counterfeits in a 2' tray of letters.

The OP's doggedness and repeated use of the word "need" has me intrigued. I hope the backstory is a good one.

It won't let me email you since I'm a new member @classic_paper. Yes the back story is an interesting one.

" I'm presuming the top one has been done using a high quality ink jet type."

I doubt you could get anything very convincing out of any ink jet printer - convincing ones are much more likely to be offset printed.

I think the point is being missed here that the Chinese have become so good at counterfeiting these stamps that it is becoming close to impossible to identify them. They use the same printing techniques, technology and equipment as USPS contracted manufacturers. The only difference is the Chinese and resellers get the cash instead of the Postal Service. It needs the level of attention that the Secret Service gives to currency counterfeiting because the USPS is losing hundreds of millions of dollars to this activity (that they know of). In 2015 the USPS estimated that it lost 134.4 million dollars to counterfeit stamps and other postal fraud. That was seven years ago, and things have gotten much, much worse. One of the 10 biggest threats to Postal Service revenue, according to the 2009 annual report of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the law enforcement arm of the Post Office was counterfeit stamps. That was 13 years ago.

is a big umbrella. You have no idea how much of that was counterfeits. Not saying it isn't a significant number, just saying you don't know how significant.

The above explanation is why I am here on this forum. Thank you rogdcam.

Genuine modern stamps are almost always absolutely perfect. Anything that is a tiny bit off is a tip-off that they are fake. And if you have genuine reference copies bought at a post office, you can compare the tiniest details: the size an position of microprinting, plate numbers, other small details; the perforations; the pattern of lithographed or photogravure ink dots, etc. You can check tagging, but plenty of fake modern stamps can match the tagging of genuine stamps. . .it is just one more thing to check.

Since late last year I've seen hundreds and hundreds of ads on Facebook for Forever stamps. Usually it's 100 Forever stamps for $38 or $39 dollars. The ads are from overseas and super shady. They are straight up money thieving scams or of course most likely counterfeits. I've posted on the comment sections of these ads to Avoid and Report along with a link from the UPSIS about counterfeit stamps. Once you post on one ad, Facebook's algorithm thinks you need to see them all. I've reported every one of them. Facebook does actually removes some of them, but not all nor enough. I did get feedback from Facebook this morning that two ads I've reported were removed. So please, if you see the counterfeit Forever stamp ads on Facebook - report them.

since engraving is more work to duplicate, maybe it's time for stamps to return to that printing technique

I think I've stumbled upon another high quality fake. It was more transparent and look at the perforations. It also was tagged. But without better forensics, it can only be suspected. For now at least. I'd agree we have to go back to the engraving but it can be mimicked too. Not as easily, but they have faked it with the Lady Liberty stamps using textured ink from what I have heard. The issue is making so many designs and too many variations. Why are there any variations in production and design such as microprinting locations and perforations, paper, tagging, etc etc at all? Imagine if US currency lacked this much uniformity and quality control.

The edges are unusually rough looking. I am sure they should be much cleaner cut, so I would assume that is an obvious sign of a bogus issue.

The Nov-Dec 2021 issue of Collector's Club Philatelist has a good article by Wayne Youngblood on modern counterfeits.