KHANEWAL – An international manhunt has been launched for 33-year-old Pakistani software engineer after US authorities offered reward of up to $100,000 (Rs2.77 Crore) for information leading to his arrest and conviction in an alleged counterfeit postage operation that prosecutors say cost the US Postal Service more than $126 million.
Faheem Akram, a resident of Khanewal, has been indicted in Florida over allegations that he operated LabelsBank.com, a website prosecutors say was used to sell millions of counterfeit US postage labels.
The scale of the alleged operation is striking. According to the US Department of Justice, more than 5.1 million counterfeit shipping labels were allegedly sold to more than 5,200 customers through the website.
US investigators allege that Labels*Bank.co*m offered counterfeit postage at fixed, deeply discounted prices, typically around $2 per label, regardless of a package’s weight, size or destination. That pricing model allegedly allowed customers to send parcels for prices far below legitimate USPS rates, while leaving the Postal Service to absorb the resulting losses.
Federal prosecutors called alleged operation as a scheme that was “simple but massive”, with the indictment putting the estimated financial damage to USPS at more than $126 million. The website was not authorised to sell USPS products or services, according to court records. Following the indictment, US authorities obtained a court order to seize the domain and shut down the operation.
US Postal Inspection Service is now offering up to $100,000 for information that leads to Akram’s arrest and conviction. Authorities have specifically warned the public not to attempt to apprehend him. Anyone who has information about his whereabouts has been asked to contact the US Postal Inspection Service.
The case highlighted international reach of US postal-fraud investigations. Postal officials say the investigation was conducted by the Miami Division of the US Postal Inspection Service, with federal prosecutors pursuing the case in Florida.
Faheem Akram is identified in US court records as being from Khanewal, Pakistan. Pakistani police officials have also confirmed his connection to Khanewal.
Khanewal District Police Officer Abid Waraich said Akram is a resident of Khanewal city and has a professional background in software engineering. Pakistani officials have also alleged that he may have previously been involved in similar online fraud activity, although no criminal case had been registered against him in Pakistan, according to local police.
Officials suspect Akram may currently be outside Pakistan, but his exact whereabouts remain unknown.
Akram faces multiple federal charges in the United States, including conspiracy to defraud the US and make and sell counterfeit postage stamps, five counts related to 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 for each wire-fraud count, according to the US Department of Justice.
