Don’t Send Out Those Christmas Cards Until You Read This!

This is the time that a lot of us set aside some quality time to hammer out a stack of Christmas cards, keeping all of the people in our lives up to date on what's been going on since last year's holiday greetings.

But this year's cards could mean jail time for some people.

The United States Postal Service has issued a warning about a new stamp scam.

In an alert titled 'Don't Get Snowed by Holiday Scams', the postal service is advising customers that the number of counterfeit stamps being sold online has increased, and so has the actual quality of those fake stamps.

The alert says that scammers sell the stamps on social media marketplaces, e-commerce sites via third-party vendors, and other websites, often in bulk quantities at a significant discount–anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of their face value.

Translation: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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Here's where things get tricky.

Not only will you be out good money if you fall victim to this scam, but you could also be breaking the law. Purchasing counterfeit stamps is considered a federal crime.

The Postal Service reminds everyone to only purchase stamps at Postal Service locations, through the Postal Service online, or at approved vendors, which can include big-box or warehouse retailers.

By the way, if you are doing some shipping this holiday season, here are some important deadlines you need to know for delivery by December 21:

• USPS Ground Advantage Service: December 18
• First-Class Mail Service December 18
• Priority Mail Service: December 19
• Priority Mail Express Service: December 21