Patent ID: 7941378

Claim:
A method for detection of fraudulent postage indicia, comprising: introducing a mail piece for processing on an automated facing and canceling machine; imaging the mail piece by the automated facing and canceling machine to produce an image that includes an image of postage indicia on the mail piece; comparing the image of the postage indicia to a catalog database that stores a plurality of valid images and a plurality of counterfeit images; determining, based on the comparison, that the image of the postage indicia does not correspond to any of the plurality of valid images; determining, based on the comparison, that the image of the postage indicia does not correspond to any of the plurality of counterfeit images; storing the image of the postage indicia and determinations; and based on the determinations that the image of the postage indicia does not correspond to any of the plurality of valid images and does not correspond to any of the plurality of counterfeit images, inhibiting cancellation of the postage indicia and presenting the image of the postage indicia for human analysis.