Pakistani authorities have arrested a 33-year-old man accused of orchestrating an online counterfeit postage operation that U.S. prosecutors claim led to over $126 million in losses for the U.S. Postal Service. Faheem Akram was apprehended on Tuesday in Lahore, Pakistan, following a weeks-long nationwide search involving raids across several parts of the country.
Akram, a resident of Khanewal in eastern Punjab province, was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida, as announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for that district in a statement on September 28. The U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged that Akram operated LabelsBank.com, an unauthorized website that sold more than 5.1 million counterfeit postage labels to over 5,200 customers.
These counterfeit labels typically cost $2 each, irrespective of a package’s weight, size, or destination. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this scheme allowed customers to ship packages at prices significantly below legitimate postal rates, resulting in substantial lost revenue and shipping costs for the U.S. Postal Service. The estimated loss of more than $126 million represents the alleged financial impact on the Postal Service, not the proceeds from the website’s sales.
Atif Ameer, a senior official at Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, informed reporters that Pakistani investigators discovered Akram operated the LabelsBank.com website from August 2023 through September 2026. He reportedly utilized 16 bank accounts for the business, including accounts held by himself, his brother, wife, sister, and aunt.
It remains unclear whether Akram will be extradited to the United States to face charges or if he will undergo trial in Pakistan.
