The US government have offered a reward of up to $100,000 (Rs2.77 crore) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a Pakistani software engineer, Faheem Akram, who is accused of running a large-scale counterfeit postage operation.
Faheem Akram, 33, from Khanewal in Pakistan’s Punjab province, has been indicted in the US state of Florida over allegations that he operated LabelsBank.com, a website prosecutors say was used to sell counterfeit US postage labels.
According to the US Department of Justice, more than 5.1 million allegedly counterfeit shipping labels were sold through the website to more than 5,200 customers.
Prosecutors allege that the website offered postage labels at heavily discounted fixed prices, typically about $2 per label, regardless of the size, weight or destination of a package.
They say the scheme caused more than $126m in losses to the US Postal Service (USPS).
US prosecutors have described the alleged operation as a “simple but massive” scheme. The website was not authorised to sell USPS products or services, according to court documents.
Following the indictment, US authorities obtained a court order to seize the website’s domain and shut down the operation.
The US Postal Inspection Service is offering up to $100,000 for information that leads to Akram’s arrest and conviction. Authorities have warned members of the public not to approach or attempt to apprehend him.
People with information about his whereabouts have been asked to contact the US Postal Inspection Service.
The case highlights the international nature of the investigation, which was led by the Miami Division of the US Postal Inspection Service, with federal prosecutors pursuing the case in Florida.
US court records identify Akram as being from Khanewal, Pakistan.
Khanewal District Police Officer Abid Waraich has also confirmed that Akram is a resident of Khanewal and has a background in software engineering.
Pakistani police officials have alleged that he may previously have been involved in similar online fraud, although police said no criminal case had been registered against him in Pakistan in connection with those allegations.
Officials believe Akram may currently be outside Pakistan, but his exact whereabouts are unknown.
Akram faces several federal charges in the US, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to make and sell counterfeit postage stamps.
He also faces five counts related to the alleged production and sale of counterfeit postage labels and four counts of wire fraud.
According to the US Department of Justice, the conspiracy and counterfeit-postage charges carry maximum sentences of five years in prison, while each wire-fraud charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years.
The charges are allegations, and Akram is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
