How Do You Identify Fake Forever Stamps? What to Look For

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Plus, where to buy authentic stamps and how to report counterfeits

Co-authored by Dan Hickey

Last Updated: January 21, 2026 Fact Checked

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Signs of Fakes

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Buying Legit Stamps

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Reporting Fakes

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Can you mail a fake?

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FAQs

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In the past several years, incidents of counterfeit stamps and postage scams have skyrocketed, with Forever Stamps being a popular fraud target. While the only 100% certain way to ensure your Forever Stamps are authentic is to purchase them directly from the US Postal Service (USPS), there are signs you can look for to check if your stamps are legitimate or not. We’ll cover all of these below, plus share where you can get authentic stamps, how to report counterfeits, and what happens if you mail a fake stamp.

Real vs. Fake Forever Stamps

Real stamps are rarely (if ever) discounted; fakes are often discounted by 20-50%.
Real stamp images are crisp and clear; fakes may be blurry, discolored, or have minor design errors.
Real stamps have clean, uniform perforations; fakes may have uneven or poorly aligned perforations in the wrong size.
Real stamps glow yellow-green under UV light; fakes glow bluish.
Real stamps are sold by the USPS and authorized retailers; fakes are most often sold by suspicious online vendors.

Section 1 of 5:

Signs of a Fake Forever Stamp

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They’re sold in bulk at a discounted price that’s too good to be true. According to the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the biggest sign that a Forever Stamp is counterfeit is a discount of up to 20-50% off.^{[1]
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Research source} While approved retailers may sometimes offer slight discounts, these are minimal.
- Discounted counterfeit “Forever Stamps” can be found more frequently during the holiday season and from online retailers.
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There are subtle differences in the stamp design. Look closely at your suspected fake and compare it to a close-up image of an authentic stamp. Are there any differences in the design? On the classic American flag design, for example, you may notice that a row of stars on the flag has an extra star compared to an authentic stamp, or there may be a missing stripe or other detail in the corners or along the edges of the stamp (almost as if the image was cropped or shifted slightly).
- The colors on a counterfeit stamp may also be a different shade or too vibrant compared to an authentic stamp.
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The printed words and images on fake Forever Stamps may look fuzzy, blurry, or pixelated, while genuine stamps will have sharp, clear images. You may have to compare your suspected counterfeit to a real stamp in order to spot the difference in image quality.
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The microprinting is missing or printed with fuzzy, low-quality ink. Microprinting is a security feature where super tiny text or symbols are printed onto the stamp, looking either invisible or like a solid line or blur to the naked eye. Counterfeits may lack this microprinting completely or use low-quality ink that smears or appears almost “wet.”^{[2]
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- You’ll probably need a magnifying glass to spot this detail.
Authentic Forever Stamps have clean, uniform, perforated edges with specific measurements. Counterfeit perforations, on the other hand, may be uneven, poorly aligned, or the wrong size.^{[3]
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The adhesive on real stamps is engineered to easily and strongly stick to your mail. Counterfeit adhesive may feel too sticky in comparison or be so weak that the stamp can’t stay on an envelope. Counterfeits may also leave behind adhesive residue when removed.^{[4]
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The stamp appears bluish under a UV light. Genuine stamps are printed on tagged paper that will glow a yellow-green color under a shortwave UV light. Counterfeits, which are not tagged, will appear bluish instead.^{[5]
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- This is easiest to spot on the standard American flag design; the white stripes and the text in “USA” and “FOREVER” should glow yellow-green (not blue) if they’re authentic.
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The website you purchased them from seems illegitimate or suspicious. You may notice a website address that seems legitimate at first, but may be misspelled or missing a letter (for example, UUStamps.com or uspssts.com). Typos on the site (or in emails from them) are also a red flag that the site may not be a USPS-approved retailer.^{[6]
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- Sites or sellers that put undue pressure on you to buy fast (“Purchase right now to take advantage of this amazing deal!”) may also be fraudulent.

Section 2 of 5:

Where to Get Authentic Forever Stamps

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Buy Forever Stamps directly from the USPS or a USPS-approved retailer. The most reliable way to ensure your stamps are genuine is to purchase them directly from the USPS, either at your local post office or through the official USPS website. You can also find genuine stamps from approved retailers, including many big-box stores (Walmart, Target, etc.), pharmacies (CVS, Walgreens, etc.), grocery stores (Kroger, Jewel, etc.), banks or credit unions, and even UPS or FedEx offices (although you may not be able to use them on packages sent through their services).^{[7]
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- Stamps.com is also a legitimate place to purchase stamps online.
- At some non-USPS locations, you may need to ask a cashier for stamps as they’re kept behind or inside the register.
- Stamps sold at non-USPS locations should be the same price as they are at the post office. Some retailers can offer slight discounts as part of their partnership with USPS, but these are minimal.
- Not sure if a third-party retailer is legit? Find the nearest approved vendor with the USPS Locations lookup tool (select “National Retailer” under “Location Type”).

Section 3 of 5:

Reporting Counterfeit Forever Stamps

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File a counterfeit postage report with the US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). If you believe you’ve been sold fake stamps, it’s easy to file a report online to launch an investigation. Go to the incident report form on the USPIS.gov website and select “Counterfeit Postage” to begin filling out the online form. You can report both the sale of counterfeit stamps and the intentional use of counterfeit stamps and labels this way.^{[8]
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- You can also call the USPIS fraud hotline at (800) 372-8347.^{[9]
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- If you would like your money back, also file a report with the vendor (store or website) you bought the stamps from. If you purchased them with a credit card, report the fraud to your credit card provider as well.

Section 4 of 5:

What happens if you mail a letter with a fake stamp?

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Essentially, if USPS detects a counterfeit stamp, they won’t process or deliver the mail. It will be considered “abandoned,” meaning the post office has the discretion to open or destroy the mail. They may also seize it as part of an investigation into the postage fraud.^{[10]
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You may be charged with a federal felony if you knowingly use fake stamps. Technically, using fake stamps defrauds the USPS (and by extension, the federal government) of revenue. According to the USPIS website, “Under federal law, Title 18 United States Code 501, it is unlawful for an individual to use, sell, or deposit packages and/or letters affixed with counterfeit postage or stamps in the U.S. Mail. If engaged in this fraudulent criminal activity, an individual may be liable for criminal and/or civil penalties.”^{[11]
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- According to the law, individuals convicted of postage fraud can be fined, imprisoned for up to 5 years, or both.^{[12]
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Section 5 of 5:

Frequently Asked Questions

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Can a post office detect fake stamps? Yes, USPS facilities can detect fake stamps in many cases. The service won’t provide details about how they do it—if it were public info, anyone could use it to make even more convincing fakes. Generally, USPS uses scanners to detect coding on the stamp to ensure they’re genuine, but some scammers have even been able to replicate these codes to trick postage cancellation machines.^{[13]
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What is a Forever Stamp? A Forever Stamp is a special non-denominated stamp from the USPS that is always valid for the current price of a 1-ounce First-Class Mail letter, regardless of whether the postage rate increases in the future. Forever Stamps do not expire, eliminating the need to buy extra stamps when rates go up.^{[14]
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- Forever Stamps were introduced in 2007, with the first design featuring the Liberty Bell.
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How can I tell if a stamp is a Forever Stamp? A Forever Stamp will have the word “Forever” on it and will not have a price or dollar amount printed on it. A regular (denominated) stamp will have a dollar amount printed on it (for example, 48¢) and can be used as supplemental postage for price increases or when you’re sending heavier mail.^{[15]
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