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The State of Counterfeiting at the USPS
Counterfeit postage stamps and labels have become an alarming concern for the USPS and its customers. The distribution of fraudulent stamps and labels undermines the trust consumers place in the postal system and jeopardizes the revenue stream of the USPS. Criminals exploit various channels, including online platforms and social media marketplaces, to peddle counterfeit stamps. This surge in counterfeit activities necessitates robust and innovative measures to protect consumers and preserve the integrity of the USPS.
Introducing Cypheme's 'Deep Tracing' Technology
Cypheme's 'Deep Tracing' is an AI-powered solution designed to tackle the counterfeiting problem head-on. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, 'Deep Tracing' empowers consumers, distributors, retailers, and customs officials to identify counterfeit postage stamps with exceptional accuracy. The technology is user-friendly, as it requires nothing more than a smartphone equipped with a camera to authenticate the products in question.
How 'Deep Tracing' Works
Cypheme's 'Deep Tracing' technology works through a series of sophisticated processes that enable accurate and real-time authentication of postage stamps. The AI algorithm can analyse micro-details in the packaging, ensuring that it can differentiate between genuine and counterfeit items. When a consumer or postal worker suspects the authenticity of a postage stamp or package, they can simply use their smartphone to scan the product.
Once the image is captured, the AI system processes the data and compares it with its vast database of authentic packaging details. Within seconds, 'Deep Tracing' generates a response, indicating whether the item is genuine or a counterfeit copy. This swift and efficient process allows for immediate action to be taken, preventing counterfeit products from infiltrating the postal system and reaching consumers.
Integration into the Postal Service's Operations
Cypheme's 'Deep Tracing' solution has the potential to seamlessly integrate into the USPS's existing operations. Postal inspectors and customs officials can use this AI tool during routine inspections and interdictions to identify and seize packages containing counterfeit postage labels. By implementing 'Deep Tracing' at the early stages of the supply chain, counterfeit items can be intercepted and removed before they reach consumers.
Moreover, the USPS can collaborate with approved postal providers to incorporate 'Deep Tracing' into their distribution channels. By ensuring that genuine postage stamps are traced at every step of the product's life, from the manufacturer to the end consumer, the USPS can build a robust anti-counterfeit security system.
Consumer Empowerment and Trust
One of the remarkable features of 'Deep Tracing' is its ability to empower consumers to be active participants in the fight against counterfeiting. By allowing anyone to check the authenticity of a product with certainty using their smartphone, our technology transforms consumers into valuable agents in the battle against counterfeit postage stamps.
Furthermore, this level of transparency and trust-building strengthens the relationship between the USPS and its customers. By ensuring that consumers receive only authentic products, the USPS can boost consumer confidence, leading to increased loyalty and positive brand perception.
Testing and Real-Life Results
Our 'Deep Tracing' technology has undergone rigorous testing under the supervision of bailiffs to evaluate its effectiveness in real-life conditions. The AI system has consistently demonstrated a higher accuracy rate in visually detecting counterfeit items compared to trained professionals. This robust performance gives the USPS the assurance that 'Deep Tracing' can indeed be a game-changer in combating counterfeiting.
Conclusion
The US Postal Service's battle against counterfeiting has been an ongoing struggle, but the emergence of Cypheme's AI-powered 'Deep Tracing' technology offers a promising solution. By empowering consumers, distributors, and customs officials with the means to quickly and accurately authenticate postage stamps and packages, 'Deep Tracing' can significantly reduce the circulation of counterfeit items within the postal system.
The USPS's adoption of this cutting-edge AI technology can bolster its efforts in protecting consumers, preserving its reputation, and safeguarding its revenue streams. As 'Deep Tracing' continues to be tested and implemented, it has the potential to become a vital tool in the USPS's arsenal to combat counterfeiting effectively. By embracing innovation, the USPS can emerge stronger in the battle against counterfeit postage stamps and ensure a more secure and reliable postal service for all Americans. |
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Pillar Of The Community
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The integrity of any technology is only as good as the integrity of the people using it.  |
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Valued Member
United States
190 Posts |
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Rogdcam,
I am confused or have maybe totally misread the article, has the company actually signed with USPS? Reading through the article it appears more as sales brochure on why they should use Cypheme's technology vs anyone else. It seems to have every buzz word used in the past two years some of which may not be that applicable. I would have thought that USPS already has a system even if it is as simple as looking for phosphor or other ancient technologies. To me a total idiot in the mail processing business, I would have thought that the number one technology and workflow issue is how to review and process the false positives as that would be primarily an human task? They also state that technology would give multiple seconds responses whereas USPS volume would require sub thousandth of a second. Having noted some of the negatives, it would be an incredibly challenging and interesting project to work on. |
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Bedrock Of The Community
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Chesham - My prime takeaway from what is a sales pitch is that the product is an app that people, especially consumers, could use to protect themselves. The government, USPS, CBP etc. are also mentioned likely because government contracts are the big fish. I don't see this as a machine technology in a sorting facility but rather, again, an app for field personnel/frontline users. Customs agents, post office counter clerks, mothers buying rolls of stamps and so on. |
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Valued Member
United States
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Thank you for the explanation. I had also seen it as only a sales brochure.
I had totally missed the end consumer as the potential market. They do seem to be hinting that the "deep tracing" is to add a barcode or datamatrix to each stamp for end to end tracking similar or possible identically to the changes GB is implementing for the definitive stamps which are replacing the old machin stamps. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
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Taking the counterpoint here, for the sake of argument, it could potentially be viewed as something that would be a viable 'test' for a counterfeiter. If he can make something that can fool this, then its probably good enough.
Still, this could be a good thing to have in general. |
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Pillar Of The Community
United States
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When I read all the buzzwords in the sales pitch, I thought the article had been written by AI.
I didn't think the problem was with the identification of the counterfeit items, it was the enforcement. I mean, when Customs sees a palette full of US postage stamps coming in from China, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to presume they are fakes. Or the myriad of online sellers listing Forever stamps at 50% face. The problem is the manpower involved in tracking down the sellers, like playing a game of whack-a-mole.
On the technology side, they say a lot about the packaging but not the stamps themselves. Do they really have a comprehensive database of every type of packaging the USPS used for every stamp issue? I've seen multiple flavors of coil roll labels for the same identical stamps, would some of these packaging variations be falsely flagged as counterfeit stamps?
Would a cell phone camera really be good enough to identify differences in microprinting or die cutting to properly identify the counterfeits? I am skeptical, to say the least, that this can be a viable consumer product.
Absolutely if this technology can be embedded into the postal stream at some major hubs, it may be a useful tool to flag potential suspects, but it still comes down to a lack of human labor for verification and enforcement.
Thanks for the post. Glad to see the issue is getting attention from the 3rd party business community. Maybe they can lobby some senators to get some funding to help address the problem. |
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Moderator
United States
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The following is my opinion.
AI will not solve the counterfeiting issue. To solve this issue politicians will need to grow a backbone and get tough with countries who are openly allowing and supporting the manufacturing/exporting of the counterfeits.
Oh wait, these are same politicians who are being paid as part of 'Elite Capture' policies of the countries where the counterfeits are being produced. ('Elite Capture' policies are policies which clearly define a strategy where they buy off the government and industry decision makers.)
We get the governments we deserve. The rest is simply bright, shiny objects meant to divert our attention.
Don |
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" I mean, when Customs sees a palette full of US postage stamps coming in from China, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to presume they are fakes. "
It isn't that they say "what could possibly be wrong with a pallet of US stamps being shipped into the US?" (or gee, we don't see any reason to confiscate this fentynol), the problem is only a small fraction of all incoming merch is inspected. |
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Valued Member
Canada
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Computer see a picture in pixels, as a matrix of pixels, with each having different shades. Computer need to be fed with the right picture. Then, you submit another, the one you want to test. Some treatments are done and you get 2 matrix of pixels to compare. The algorithm classify the result as real or fake. It needs to be fed with lot of sample, so algorithm can compare with damaged stamps as example. While 'training' the machine, if it classifies it wrong, someone brings it back in the good category and the machine 'learned'. It is not really AI but machine learning, a bit like the future automatic pilot on cars. Someone need to 'train' the algorithm, the more it is train, the best is the accuracy.
A cell phone is strong enough to run that, but it won't find who made the fake! And there could be false negatives... |
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Pillar Of The Community
Netherlands
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Of course, each stamp in a sheet or roll is exactly the same as all the others. That is a really fail-safe method.
Packaging does not show printing variety either. |
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Bedrock Of The Community
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Cypheme may have not excelled at clarity in their sales pitch but they have hit upon something in a circular fashion. Most of the counterfeit sales are taking place online and secondarily in neighborhood markets. Selling single stamps is not really the issue, rather it is rolls and booklets. Why has the USPS not begun focusing on packaging measures as a way of ensuring authenticity of contents. You can look at thousands of products in any drugstore or Walmart that use security labels, holographic images and other devices to safeguard the contents. The USPS should have placed emphasis on package security and educating consumers to look for only those products that have that security. It also makes life a whole lot easier when you can simply categorize a potential package of fakes as such by simply looking at and scanning the security measure. Cypheme themselves actually does this as their core business. Have a read and tell me this would not address a large part of the problem. https://www.cypheme.com/post/how-cy...-label-works |
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So the plan is give up on disrupting the supply chain at (or very near) the manufacturing source and just pass along additional costs of a less effective solution to the end users? Political and industry leaders will surely embrace this solution. Additionally, humans excel at 'working arounds' and in my opinion adding cost via additional security tech will result in people figuring out 'work-arounds' to whatever they implement. Given the history on this, I would give whatever tech they use will have a window of about 6 months before it is defeated.
Don |
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Bedrock Of The Community
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Don - That may be the end result but if we are waiting for the political class to confront China in a meaningful way that is simply not going to happen. In fact the current admin is actually talking about the opposite approach. So, we can wait for something to take place that will not take place or we can at least fight back. |
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rogdcam, Ah, OK, I did not think of that angle. Cypheme may not actually have a solution to help identify the counterfeits from the genuine article in the existing supply chain. What they want to do is have the USPS embed their security labels into future products where they do have a tool that can verify their authenticity. That was not clear to me in the first read. Now it makes sense. However I am still skeptical that it will work. Cypheme has some patents-pending in the US and Europe but I don't expect them to be granted as-is because they don't contain enough novel information about the technology and algorithms to differentiate themselves from any competitors. You cannot patent an idea, only a specific implementation of the idea. It is not sufficient to sprinkle "AI" and "neural networks" in the patent and claim that as your solution. https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirse.../20210397832The description starts "In the present invention, contrary to the technical prior art, security is perfect. The use is also very simple because it does not depend on a particular tool or a perfect picture shooting." That is a bold statement in a patent to say that security is perfect. Nowhere did I see them explain how it was perfect or why it could not be copied. It goes on to say, "The present invention thus makes it possible to verify the authenticity of a document or product in an almost instantaneous and very precise manner. The security is maximum, the production method is inexpensive and the authentication is simple". If the production method is inexpensive, it is not implausible to think a diligent counterfeiter could replicate it. There seems to be a big dependence on "blockchain", another hip buzzword,    My post is running long so I won't go into the ways that I see vulnerabilities in this system, both in the product and in the network, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I applaud them for the attempt, I hope it works, and anticipate this may be a first-generation approach at a better long-term solution. Lastly, Cypheme is based in France. Getting the USPS to create a strategic dependency on a company that is not Made in USA is an uphill battle. Thanks for letting me rant. |
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Valued Member
United States
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Rodg, So you don't envision the purchase of counterfeit stamps from the friendly local drug dealer on each street street corner.  Or perhaps the dark web? I don't see any incentive for the US or European governments to do anything to penalize China or any other country who takes their place. The man on the street is more concerned about price or getting a good deal. Just look at any large outside market and you will never find an authentic item. |
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Posted 08/28/2023 6:54 pm
