The Postal Service intends to change mailing standards to treat articles in the mailstream with fraudulent postage as abandoned, allowing them to be opened and disposed of at the organization’s discretion.
February 17, 2023
The Postal Service has filed notice in the Federal Register, seeking to change mailing standards to combat a surge in counterfeit postage.Counterfeit postage is any marking or indicia that has been made, printed or otherwise created without USPS authorization that appears to indicate that valid postage was paid.
Under the proposed revision to Section 604.8.4 of the Domestic Mail Manual, articles in the mailstream with fraudulent postage will be considered abandoned and may be opened and disposed of at the Postal Service’s discretion.
Consumers who are victims of online vendors using counterfeit postage will need to seek recourse from the vendor.
“As the most trusted government agency in the nation, we will continue to work together with other law enforcement and government agencies to protect the sanctity of the mail,” said Gary Barksdale, chief postal inspector.
A public comment period on the change will be open until March 15.
To comment by mail, send a letter to Manager, Product Classification, U.S. Postal Service, 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4446, Washington, DC 20260-5015.
To comment by email, include your name and address and send to PCFederalRegister@usps.gov with the subject line “Counterfeit Postage.”
USPS News Release – February 15, 2023
Source: USPS