Pakistani Police Detain Suspect in $126 Million U.S. Postage Fraud Case

LAHORE, Pakistan — Pakistani authorities acting on intelligence have arrested a man on Tuesday, alleging his involvement in an online counterfeit postage operation that U.S. prosecutors say resulted in more than $126 million in losses to the United States Postal Service, according to Pakistan’s cyber‑crime investigation agency.

Faheem Akram, 33, was taken into custody after a week‑long investigation that included raids in multiple locations, said Atif Ameer, a senior official with the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, to the press.

Akram, a resident of Khanewal in eastern Punjab, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Florida’s Southern District, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced on September 28. Prosecutors allege that he ran LabelsBank.com, an illicit site that sold over 5.1 million counterfeit postage stamps to more than 5,200 customers, with each label priced at $2, irrespective of weight, size, or destination.

These counterfeit stamps enabled customers to ship parcels at rates far below official postal charges, causing significant revenue and shipping cost losses for the Postal Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported. The $126 million figure reflects estimated losses to the service, not the revenue generated by the website.

Ameer added that Pakistani investigators determined Akram ran the website from August 2023 until September 2026 and utilized 16 bank accounts belonging to himself, his brother, wife, sister, and aunt to conduct the operation.

It remains uncertain whether Akram will be extradited to the United States or prosecuted in Pakistan.

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