Forged Christmas Island strips 5, peel and stick $1.10 stamps?

[Allanswood]

I've either stumbled across something forged or I'm just having a moment, but I found these for sale and I have no record that these were ever released in a self adhesive version, and off rolls to boot.

So... are these real? As I can't find them.

[Allanswood]

Just to add further to this, before I make a report to AP security, the Bulletin at the time makes no mention of producing self adhesive stamps for this issue (and its not listed on the order forms) and I don't think they have ever made a boxed roll of 100 CI self adhesive stamps.

And the seller oddly states in the sale that "Crab's colour and pattern might be different due to different batch of the stock".

[Global Admin]

105% forged in China Greg.

Do report it please. AP have never issued ANYTHING from Christmas Island is self-adhesive rolls!

An ebay spiv called pozobox were selling these by the 1000 this year - ebay have removed all trace of the listings, but as usual with FakeBay, the home of stamp forgeries of all kinds, have not suspended or delisted the seller!

All these 100s of sold items with '$1.00' sold values now showing, and no detail were $1.10 stamps as I recall.

https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_ssn=pozobox&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1&_ipg=240

[traralgon3844]

These are printed on Avery 'sticker' paper. I have seen the $1.10 RSPCA and Seatbelt issues as well. Huge quantities are available.

I have heard of LPO'S buying them.

[BigSaint]

Paul

To go on parcels?

[Global Admin]

Brad - they can be used on anything. LPOs would be insane to buy and sell them.

If you pay a $1 million for your LPO licence, (typical rate) and get caught selling and/or using fakes they'll march you out the door, and give you 24 hours to remove your stock, and you cannot onsell the business. They are ruthless. A million lost - all to save 10c or 20c apiece buying fakes.

[Global Admin]

The Federal Police here take a rather dim view of this kind of stuff as I reported in Stamp News.

https://www.glenstephens.com/snfebruary21.html


The Australian Federal Police (AFP) have alleged the 55-year-old manufactured the counterfeit stamps, and used them to provide free postage and handling when sending goods to customers of his online sticker business. AFP officers, with the assistance of Australia Post, seized fake stamps and a high-end printer, allegedly used for counterfeiting, when they executed a search warrant at the man’s Dianella home.

Investigators also seized identity documents and credit cards in other people’s names, two unlicensed firearms, and two prohibited flick knives. The man has been charged with one count of forging a postage stamp, contrary to section 85G(1) of the Commonwealth Crimes Act 1914. He faces a potential 10 years’ imprisonment if convicted of the offence. Enquiries are ongoing into the weapons, and other items seized by police.

The AFP began investigating last year, after Australia Post staff intercepted hundreds of mail items bearing forged stamps. Police say the forgeries were of a high quality, with perforated edges on the stamps. However, vigilant Australia Post staff noticed inconsistencies in stamps going through the mail network and seized hundreds of suspect items.

“Creating an unfair playing field”

“We will allege this man was forging stamps to create a financial advantage for himself,” AFP Detective Superintendent David Berston said. “He was able to entice customers to his business and away from his competitors because the free postage made his products cheaper, creating an unfair playing field” he continued.

“We also allege this conduct put his customers at risk of not receiving the goods they purchased in good faith, with Australia Post needing to intercept and hold hundreds of mail items that had counterfeit stamps. This crime also siphons money away from Australian taxpayers, because Australia Post is owned by the Commonwealth Government.” Berston concluded.

Approximately 680 mail items bearing these alleged fake stamps, valued at approximately $2,300 face value, were detected by the Australia Post mail Centre operations, but it is unknown how many items with forged stamps had been sent out in the past by Mr. Balcombe.

The crooks do not realise the genuine AP stamps have ‘’tagging’’ that is detected in the high-tech mail sorting equipment these days!

[Global Admin]

For those totally asleep under a rock for the past 10 years - and that INCLUDES the amazingly lazy USPS -- please buy and read this -

How bad is the counterfeiting of modern United States forever stamps? Well, bad enough that Scott catalog editors made the move to publish a new book focused just on counterfeits.

Philatelic Foreword by Jay Bigalke

The new 2023 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Counterfeits is the essential reference work for collectors of United States counterfeit stamp issues. It is also the go-to reference for users of postage stamps who want to know the differences between authentic postage stamps and counterfeits of a given issue.

Postal counterfeits and nonpostal and revenue counterfeits are listed in separate sections.

Counterfeiting of United States forever stamps increased exponentially in 2021 with most new issues being faked.

Scott catalog editors have noted within the Postage section of the Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers what stamp issues are known to exist as counterfeits and have placed that information in footnotes.

Because of the large number of new counterfeit forever stamps (more than 300 major Scott catalog numbers in the last year), Scott editors decided to only list denominated and earlier counterfeits in the 2023 Scott U.S. Specialized catalog.

If only denominated counterfeit issues were listed, this new print catalog would only be 17 pages long. With the explosion of forever counterfeit issues, it is 97 pages. And more counterfeits have already been reported as the catalog was heading to press.

[BigSaint]

I guess nothing new about these types of scams:

Sick of paying for postage? ... Forged photocopy 60c stamp!

https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=55279

[Allanswood]

Yes, but these Xmas Island are die cut with interrupted perf and security slits included to make them look very real to the untrained eye.

Took a bit of effort to make that 'knife'.

And I've just realised the other obvious proof that they are forged, but I'm not going to say it in case someone reading might want to try and fix it.

[Allanswood]

These are printed on Avery 'sticker' paper. I have seen the $1.10 RSPCA and Seatbelt issues as well. Huge quantities are available.

I have heard of LPO'S buying them.

As far as I know, all Avery and other major brand laser sticker papers have a printed over backing to help you know what is the side to print on. We use them all the time at work.
But I can't see any back prints showing through on the Xmas Island strips.

[traralgon3844]

These are printed on Avery 'sticker' paper. I have seen the $1.10 RSPCA and Seatbelt issues as well. Huge quantities are available.

I have heard of LPO'S buying them.

As far as I know, all Avery and other major brand laser sticker papers have a printed over backing to help you know what is the side to print on. We use them all the time at work.
But I can't see any back prints showing through on the Xmas Island strips.

I have a strip of the Buckle Up/Seat Belt issue on Avery paper.

[norvic]

Yes, but these Xmas Island are die cut with interrupted perf and security slits included to make them look very real to the untrained eye.

Took a bit of effort to make that 'knife'.

And I've just realised the other obvious proof that they are forged, but I'm not going to say it in case someone reading might want to try and fix it.

It’s not so difficult. All the GB forgeries (except the 24p brown which Glen has now sold out of) are die cut and have appeared in numerous formats.

[GraniteSA]

Chinese printers of USA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjjrnaMGDl0

[Global Admin]

I was discussing all this with a dealer over dinner last night.

He assured me the PO made self adhesive strips of 10c stamps as he had some.

I told him they NEVER made strips of anything other than letter rate. Anything else in strips 5 were fakes.

He emailed me this strip today.

I am guessing those too are forged in China etc? Nice and easy -- no die cuts needed even!

[traralgon3844]

Get a scan of the rear to confirm the paper.

[Global Admin]

Why?

Does anyone have ANY evidence there was ever a PO issued 10c peel and stick in strips?

This dealer was a previous Editor of the Australasian Stamp Catalogue. Neither that ASC Cat, nor SG nor Renniks lists a peel and stick 2011 10c Cow! Thank Shanghai for these too.

I repeat I do not think PO EVER issued roll peel and sticks, OTHER than in the prevailing letter rate?

[norvic]

I was discussing all this with a dealer over dinner last night.

He assured me the PO made self adhesive strips of 10c stamps as he had some.

I told him they NEVER made strips of anything other than letter rate. Anything else in strips 5 were fakes.

He emailed me this strip today.

I am guessing those too are forged in China etc? Nice and easy -- no die cuts needed even!

Die cuts are used for the ‘perforation’.

[Global Admin]

For the educational benefit of our 'ever knowing' GB branch, all letter rate, peel and stick rolls of Defins for 10 years or so, have had extensive die cuts within the stamp design.

[norvic]

So have ours but you wrote that it didn’t have die-cutting. Just clarifying for anyone who looks in years to come that they are not real perforations.

[Global Admin]

April 1 is surely weeks away?

Modern Peel and stick stamp without die cut perfs - what a technological newsflash.

Thanks for that brilliant update. Meanwhile, back to the topic of forged Australia stamps please ......................

[Allanswood]

Just perusing ebay and there are line after line of people selling stamps (that are not your normal looking 'stamp sellers', as they sell all sorts of stuff), offering $1.10 and now $1.20 strips of Australian and Christmas Island stamps that are advertised with a saved AP actual stamp mockup image file and then the blurb will often say that the stamp you get may not be the image shown but will be a $1.10/20 stamp.

They are offered at around $100 for $120 face of stamps in bundles of 20/50/100/500. Always at a discounted rate, but never actually showing a real stamp in the add.

I hadn't realised how quickly the fake market rot had set in!

Misleading images, fake strips of 5 stamps lying flat (they never do normally!), shown in front of boxes of peel and stick stamps (but you don't get the box!)

I must admit that I took a decent image and ran some actual size prints on paper and sticker on the commercial printer at work and...well... very convincing reproduction, but not with the sheen finish or tagging of a real stamp. But get the perfs close and if stuck on a envelope... only a philatelist would be able to tell! I can even read the year micro print.

[Global Admin]

It is FakeBay after all - unless they come in sealed boxes like this, printed by Sprintpack, only an IDIOT would touch them. Chinese fakes for sure.

The person who places the fakes into the mail stream is the one committing the Federal Offence under the Crimes Act Of Australia - none of these penny pinching idiots seem to realise that.

Large dealers like me have for decades sold GENUINE stamps well under face value. For the same price or lower levels as the FakeBay spivs, but mine are all totally genuine to use - www.tinyurl.com/CheapStamp

If they are not packaged like this below you are buying fakes most likely. I recently bought some boxes of these that until sold out, I sell well under face to legitimate mail users, that are guaranteed printed in Melbourne NOT Shanghai!

[ozstamps]

Misleading images, fake strips of 5 stamps lying flat (they never do normally!), shown in front of boxes of peel and stick stamps (but you don't get the box!)

Yes saw a few spivs offering $1.20 stamps - showing images stolen off the Australia Post website, per 500 and 1000 etc, and saying 'For more easy of shipping we mailing these stamp flat' - i.e. you get Avery label type flat sheets of 10 - totally forged. Only a cretin would buy and USE them, and risk Federal Prosecution -- but one seller has made HUNDREDS of sales.

[norvic]

Royal Mail has a webpage to report such things, and in any case those of us with contacts (ie registered trade dealers) have an easy way to report new types of occurrence.

Has anybody reported these to Australia Post? At the very least they could start with copyright infringement on eBay, and start investigating.

[Global Admin]

Certainly no web page to report these spivs - they really should set one up - great idea.

This cheeky sod ausonline0305 lifted images off the PO site with the red lines across each corner to STOP FORGING off their web images!

This one FakeBay outlet ausonline0305 sold over 200 lots of 100 in recent weeks - seems like he has been closed down now by ebay or the Police or the PO - look at the vast conga list of Morons thanking him for his flat sheets 10 of totally FORGED STAMPS!

https://www.ebay.com.au/fdbk/feedback_profile/ausonline0305? ... 4108080556

[norvic]

Whilst it’s not all completely accurate this is a guide to avoiding fake stamps and how to report them.

[stampchris]

Why?

Does anyone have ANY evidence there was ever a PO issued 10c peel and stick in strips?

This dealer was a previous Editor of the Australasian Stamp Catalogue. Neither that ASC Cat, nor SG nor Renniks lists a peel and stick 2011 10c Cow! Thank Shanghai for these too.

I repeat I do not think PO EVER issued roll peel and sticks, OTHER than in the prevailing letter rate?

There's no record of 10c peel and stick stamps sold in strips (as per the Stamp Bulletin) - indeed the only 10c self-adhesives issued have been for Christmas Island in the expensive circular Lunar New Year sheets.

However, Australia Post did write at some stage that sheets of 50 10c peel and stick stamps could be ordered from their online shop when rates went from $1 to $1.10 (if my memory is correct). I clarified this with Philatelic who advised it was an error and would be corrected.

It's a long shot, but maybe they did produce these as a trial, and decided against it, however some escaped (I really doubt it though).

I've also noticed an interesting change in the wording on their shop given the number of forgeries being sold online: