We acquired an e-mail from one in all our loyal e-newsletter subscribers, Patrick Okay., who informed us about fraudulent stamp adverts that he discovered on Fb. He was in a position to collect and share with us plenty of fraudulent Fb adverts and their corresponding rip-off web sites.

The promoting of faux postal stamps has been a problem for fairly a while now, and the U.S. Postal Service has warned towards this. (Patrick Okay.)
The promoting of faux postal stamps has been a problem for fairly a while now, and the U.S. Postal Service has warned towards this. Now, it seems like these objects are being marketed on Fb as nicely for as little as $19.99 for a roll of 100 stamps. Let’s dive in and focus on what to look out for from these scammers.
How do I do know if an advert for stamps is faux?
The U.S. Postal Service has made clear that they solely promote postal stamps at face worth. They state on their web site, “Scammers peddle faux stamps on social media marketplaces, e-commerce websites by way of third-party distributors, and different web sites. Counterfeit stamps are sometimes bought in bulk portions at a major low cost–anyplace from 20 to 50 p.c of their face worth.”

The U.S. Postal Service has made clear that they solely promote postal stamps at face worth. (Patrick Okay.)
So, for those who see an commercial on an internet platform like Fb for stamps which are ridiculously low-priced, it is seemingly that these stamps are counterfeit.
IS FACEBOOK LISTENING TO YOU?
The U.S. Postal Service has groups of forensic scientists who can catch the delicate variations between an actual postage stamp and a faux one, nonetheless, a mean particular person may simply make that mistake and use a counterfeit stamp, which is a federal crime.
Different reputable retailers akin to Costco, Walgreens, and CVS are permitted to promote postage stamps at a reduction by regulation, so it’s potential to get postage stamps for barely cheaper. Nonetheless, the low cost is all the time very slight, and the stamps themselves are reputable and licensed by the U.S. Postal Service.
How do I do know if an internet retailer is faux?
There are a number of methods to have the ability to inform if an internet retailer is faux. It’s best to all the time analysis the shop earlier than shopping for something from there and look to see if different folks have given it poor opinions. One other good tip to recollect is to examine the web site’s URL.
If it begins with “https” as a substitute of “http”, this means a safe connection. And if the shop is searching for you to make any type of cost that is not by way of bank cards or PayPal, there is a good likelihood it is a rip-off.
You possibly can try extra of our ideas for what to search for in a faux on-line retailer rip-off right here.
What if I by accident fall for a faux on-line retailer?
When you suppose you’ve got develop into the sufferer of a rip-off, contact the Higher Enterprise Bureau. You possibly can file a criticism with the 24/7 and so they can look into the faux on-line retailer for you.
WARNING OVER NEW EMAIL SCAMS TARGETING FACEBOOK, APPLE USERS
Moreover the BBB, you can too use IdentityTheft.org or name 877-438-4338 for those who really feel that your identification has been stolen or misused. Id theft that has been made on-line may also be reported to the FBI’s Web Crime Criticism Heart.
What different assets can I exploit to guard myself?
Defending your Id
If you need further layers of safety, handholding, restoration and theft insurance coverage towards identification theft, see my ideas and finest picks for Id Theft safety by looking out ‘identification theft‘ at CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon on the prime of my web site.

If you need further layers of safety, handholding, restoration and theft insurance coverage towards identification theft, see my ideas and finest picks for Id Theft safety by looking out ‘identification theft‘ at CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon on the prime of my web site. (Kurt Knutsson)
Defending towards clicking malicious hyperlinks
One of the best ways to guard your self from by accident clicking on untrustworthy hyperlinks like people who could exist in a few of these on-line faux shops is to have antivirus safety put in on all of your gadgets.
HOW TO BE REMEMBERED FOREVER ON FACEBOOK
See my knowledgeable overview of the very best antivirus safety on your Home windows, Mac, Android & iOS gadgets by looking out ‘BestAntivirus’ at CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon on the prime of my web site.

See my knowledgeable overview of the very best antivirus safety on your Home windows, Mac, Android & iOS gadgets by looking out ‘BestAntivirus’ at CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon on the prime of my web site. (Kurt Knutsson)
The place is the very best place to purchase stamps?
The most effective place so that you can purchase stamps is, certainly, the U.S. Postal Service. You possibly can go to your native publish workplace and buy the stamps there. Nonetheless, for those who’re trying to save a bit of, this is an inventory of locations that additionally promote legit postage stamps for a barely cheaper value:
- Publix
- Kroger
- Wegmans
- CVS Pharmacy
- Walgreens
- Ceremony Assist
- Walmart
- Goal
- Costco
- 7 Eleven
- Wells Fargo
- Workplace Depot
- Workplace Max
It’s best to all the time be shopping for stamps from accredited distributors to keep away from utilizing counterfeit ones and having your mail confiscated, and by no means from an internet platform like Fb, Instagram, or another retailer that you’ve got by no means heard of.
Why does Fb enable these fraudulent adverts?
It isn’t precisely that Fb permits folks to publish fraudulent adverts to the location. It is extra in order that these scammers have discovered a approach for his or her posts to keep away from Fb’s verification course of altogether.
The way in which they do that is by shopping for accounts which have already gone via the verification course of, akin to enterprise supervisor accounts which are allowed to publish a number of adverts.
AIRTAG TRACKER DETECTOR WARNS OF STALKERS IN SECONDS
As soon as hackers take over these accounts, they will cost hundreds of {dollars} in advert spending to bank cards related to the compromised accounts and publish no matter adverts they need. So, it is actually a flaw inside Fb’s verification course of that enables these adverts to return to life.
Have you ever seen these or different fraudulent adverts on Fb or different platforms? Tell us by contacting us at CyberGuy.com/contact.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
For extra of my ideas, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Publication by clicking the “Free e-newsletter” hyperlink on the prime of my web site.
Copyright 2023 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.