Faheem Akram of Khanewal indicted over alleged sale of more than five million counterfeit shipping labels; website shut down as authorities seek public tips.
The United States has announced a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a Pakistani national accused of running a large-scale online operation that allegedly defrauded the US Postal Service of more than $126 million through the sale of counterfeit postage labels.
Faheem Akram, 33, from Khanewal in Pakistan’s Punjab province, was indicted last month by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida. US prosecutors allege that he operated LabelsBank.com, an unauthorised website that sold counterfeit US postage labels at a fixed low rate-typically around $2 per label-regardless of a package’s weight, size or destination.
$126M Counterfeit Postage Scheme:
According to court records and statements from the US Attorney’s Office, more than 5,200 individuals purchased over 5.1 million counterfeit shipping labels through the site. These labels allegedly allowed customers to mail packages at rates far below legitimate US Postal Service (USPS) prices, resulting in substantial lost revenue and shipping costs estimated at more than $126 million.
US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones described the alleged scheme as “simple but massive.” In a statement, he noted that the website was not authorised to sell USPS products or services. Investigators from the US Postal Inspection Service’s Miami Division led the probe, which culminated in a court order authorising the seizure and shutdown of the LabelsBank.com domain.
Akram faces one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make and sell counterfeit postage stamps, five counts of making and selling counterfeit postage stamp labels, and four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he could face a maximum of five years in prison on the conspiracy and counterfeit postage charges and up to 20 years on each wire fraud count.
$100,000 Reward for Akram:
The US Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the federal law enforcement agency responsible for crimes involving the mail system, has issued a wanted notice for Akram and is offering the $100,000 reward for information that leads to his arrest and conviction. Authorities have urged the public not to attempt to apprehend him. Anyone with information is asked to contact Postal Inspectors at 1-877-876-2455 and say “Law Enforcement.”
Akram, described in some reports as a software engineer or IT specialist, remains at large. Local Pakistani authorities in Khanewal have confirmed he is a resident of the city. His exact whereabouts are unknown, with some reports suggesting he may currently be outside Pakistan.
The case highlights the challenges of combating transnational cyber-enabled fraud that targets critical public infrastructure. US officials have emphasised their determination to pursue those who exploit the postal system across borders. The indictment itself constitutes an allegation and does not establish guilt; Akram is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law.
As the search continues, the reward and public appeal underscore the scale of the alleged losses and the priority US authorities have placed on bringing the accused to face the charges in Florida.