Investigation: China is behind flooding Britain with counterfeit postage stamps

Sources close to the British Royal Mail revealed that China is behind flooding the United Kingdom with fake postage stamps.

The Daily Telegraph reported that sources close to Royal Mail said that counterfeit stamps from the Asian country had caused an increase in complaints that stamps purchased from legitimate stores were considered fraudulent, which could result in a fine of £5.

An investigation by the newspaper identified four major Chinese suppliers offering to print up to one million counterfeit Royal Mail stamps per week for as little as 4p each, and deliver them to Britain within days.

Stamps are also sold through online retail giants such as Amazon and AB and on websites that mimic the official Royal Mail store.

A senior official admitted to the BBC's E-mail and Watchdog that he was unable to tell the difference between fake and genuine stamps.

The email company said it believes original stamp sheets, which can only be bought and sold in Britain, are being sent to China where they are repeatedly copied to produce counterfeit stamps in large quantities. The counterfeits are then sent to Britain where they are sold to unsuspecting retailers and consumers.

David Gould, Director of Foreign Affairs and Policy, said: “The truth is that counterfeiters are now so skilled at what they do that even me, who works in email, can’t tell the difference just by looking at them.”

Security experts have also warned that mass fraud amounts to "economic warfare" carried out with the tacit approval of the Chinese Communist Party.

The Postal Workers' Union said the "fraud on an unprecedented scale" had led to increased aggression against its members and risked further damage to the Post Office's brand in the wake of the Horizon computer scandal.