Pakistani Man Arrested for Alleged $126 Million U.S. Postal Service Fraud Scheme

Pakistani authorities arrested Faheem Akram, 33, on Tuesday for allegedly running an online counterfeit postage scheme that prosecutors claim cost the U.S. Postal Service more than $126 million. The arrest followed a nationwide search and multiple raids, according to Atif Ameer, a senior official at Pakistan's National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.

Akram, a resident of Khanewal in eastern Punjab province, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida. U.S. prosecutors allege that Akram operated LabelsBank.com, an unauthorized website that sold over 5.1 million counterfeit postage labels to more than 5,200 customers. These labels were reportedly sold for approximately $2 each, regardless of package weight, size, or destination.

The counterfeit labels allowed customers to ship packages at prices significantly lower than legitimate postal rates, leading to substantial revenue and shipping cost losses for the U.S. Postal Service. The estimated $126 million represents the alleged losses incurred by the Postal Service, not the profits generated by Akram's website.

According to Ameer, Pakistani investigators determined that Akram operated the website from August 2023 through September 2026. Financial records indicate that Akram utilized 16 bank accounts for the operation, including accounts held by his brother, wife, sister, and aunt. It remains unclear whether Akram will be extradited to the United States or face trial in Pakistan.