system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What's special about postage stamps? How are they different from any other square sticker? Are there safeguards against counterfeits like printed currency?
gpt
Postage stamps are not that difficult to counterfeit, but can be detected by automated equipment in the postal centers. More importantly perhaps counterfeiting them is a federal crime punishable by fines and up to five years imprisonment. Considering how much they cost the worth of such a scam is questionable.