In brief
Pakistan’s cybercrime unit has apprehended Faheem Akram, the operator of LabelsBank.com, a fraudulent website that sold counterfeit U.S. postage stamps and shipping labels since 2023. The $126‑million (about £94 million) fraud resulted in the theft of more than 5.1 million labels from over 5,200 customers. U.S. prosecutors charged Akram with conspiracy and wire fraud, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service had offered a reward for information leading to his capture. The Pakistani authorities have shut down the website and are preparing legal action. This case highlights the growing threat of cyber‑based fraud across borders.
Pakistan’s cybercrime agency has detained Faheem Akram, the man behind a counterfeit postage operation that cost the U.S. Postal Service $126 million.
Akram, 33, ran the online store LabelsBank.com from Khanewal, a city in Punjab. For three years he sold more than five million fake shipping labels, billed at a flat $2 each, to tens of thousands of U.S. consumers. Those labels allowed packages to be shipped for far below legitimate rates, eroding USPS revenue and increasing shipping costs for pay‑as‑you‑go customers.
A Florida federal grand jury indicted Akram last month and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information that led to the arrest, according to officials. Pakistani authorities shut down the website and seized related assets during the operation.
U.S. prosecutors charged Akram with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, one count of making and selling counterfeit postage stamps, five counts of making and selling counterfeit postage stamp labels, and four counts of wire fraud. He faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy and counterfeit counts and a maximum of 20 years for each wire‑fraud charge.
The investigation noted that over 5 200 individuals had purchased more than 5.1 million counterfeit labels, demonstrating the scale of the operation. The case underscores the growing threat of cross‑border cybercrime and highlights the collaboration between U.S. and Pakistani law‑enforcement agencies to protect consumers worldwide.
