The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency has arrested the key figure behind a huge online fraud involving fake American postage stamps. Officials confirmed that Faheem Akram from Khanewal district in Punjab was taken into custody for allegedly running a multi-billion-rupee operation that sold counterfeit US stamps through the internet.
According to investigators, Akram operated a website called LabelsBank.com from August 2023 until September 2026. Through this platform, more than 5.1 million fake US postage labels were sold at a fixed price of just two dollars each, no matter the weight, size, or destination of the package. US authorities earlier estimated the total losses at over 126 million dollars, which is roughly Rs35 billion.
A US federal grand jury had already charged Akram with conspiracy to defraud the United States Postal Service, making and selling counterfeit postage, and wire fraud. The NCCIA Lahore Zone, under Additional Director Atif Aamir, took over the local investigation and discovered that 16 bank accounts were used to handle the money. Seven of these accounts belonged to the suspect himself, five to his brother, two to his wife, and one each to his sister and maternal aunt.
A formal case numbered 246/2026 has been registered. Eight special teams were formed to dig deeper into the matter across Punjab, Islamabad, and Sindh. These teams carried out 35 raids, questioned 47 people, and examined 122 call data records along with 50 IMEI tracking reports. They also reviewed audio and video footage from 120 cameras with the help of modern technology and artificial intelligence.
A focused locator operation lasting ten days finally led to Akram’s arrest. Officials say further investigation is continuing to uncover the full network and recover the proceeds of the crime. The case highlights how online platforms can be misused for large-scale financial fraud that crosses international borders and causes serious losses to postal systems.
This development sends a clear message that cybercrime agencies in Pakistan are actively working with international partners to stop such sophisticated scams involving counterfeit US stamps.
