Fake Vapes

What Are Fake Vapes?

Fake vapes are copies of real vape brands, made and boxed to pass for the original by someone other than the maker. Their contents are unknown, and the brand whose name is on the box never tested them.

Federal agents seize fakes alongside other illegal vapes. In March 2020, CBP officers in Cincinnati seized 72,500 packets of counterfeit disposable pods and said most of the JUUL products they had seen imported illegally were counterfeit. When FDA and CBP seized nearly 2 million unauthorized vapes in Chicago in February 2025, some were held for using protected trademarks without permission.

A fake is not the same as an unauthorized vape, which is a real product FDA hasn't cleared. Geek Bar, Raz and Lost Mary are all unauthorized, so neither the original nor the copy may be sold legally in the US. Only the products on our list of FDA authorized vapes can be.

How to Spot Fake Vapes

You can spot fake vapes with four checks before you pay:

• The maker's code. Geek Bar and Lost Mary put a scratch-off security code and a QR code on the side of the box. Check it only on the brand's own site, and make sure that's where the QR code takes you: Geek Bar lists eight copycat websites that use its name.
• A code that was already used. Geek Bar says a freshly scratched code that reports an earlier check is probably fake, and Lost Mary says not to use a product whose code was already used.
• The box. Lost Mary says a real package is sealed and shows clear branding, the flavor, a nicotine warning and an authentication label. Be wary of a box that is damaged, opened or poorly printed.
• The price. In Colorado, a 56 percent nicotine tax is built into vape shelf prices, so a vape priced far below other shops deserves a second look. Our guide to vape prices shows how that tax adds up.

How to Tell if a Geek Bar Is Fake

To tell if a Geek Bar is fake, scratch the authentication label on the side of the box, then scan its QR code or enter the code at geekbar.com, the only site Geek Bar says to verify on. A real code shows "Valid security code" with a green tick. Each code works only once, so Geek Bar says a code you just scratched that comes back as already queried is probably a fake, and an invalid code means a fake.

The Geek Bar FAQ adds print checks: a real box is printed in high quality with bright colors, a fake looks dark, and the code image on a fake looks grid-like. It doesn't say which models those notes cover, and Geek Bar says its packaging may vary by region. Send suspected fakes to anti-counterfeits@geekbar.com. A real code doesn't make the sale legal, though: no Geek Bar is on FDA's authorized list.

How to Spot a Fake Lost Mary

To spot a fake Lost Mary, scratch the coating off the authentication label on the side of the box and enter the 18-digit code, or scan the QR code, on lostmary.com. Lost Mary's July 2026 guide says to make sure the QR code leads to its official site, and to stop using a product that fails the check or whose code was already used.

The same guide lists what a real package should have: sealed packaging, clear Lost Mary branding, the product name and flavor, a nicotine warning, the authentication label and the code. Lost Mary takes reports through a counterfeit form that asks for the store's name, a photo of the QR code and a receipt. Like Geek Bar, Lost Mary isn't FDA authorized, so even a genuine one can't be sold legally in the US.

Is There a Geek Bar THC Vape?

There is no Geek Bar THC vape: Geek Bar's own website lists only nicotine products, from disposables and pod systems to e-hookahs, under a nicotine warning on every page. Anything sold as a Geek Bar THC vape is not a Geek Bar, whatever the packaging says, and its contents are unknown and untested by Geek Bar.

Why Counterfeit Vapes Show Up

Counterfeit vapes show up when a brand is in demand but hard to get through normal channels. Puff Bar shows how it works. After FDA's warning letters to Puff Bar in July 2020, Truth Initiative researchers tracking store sales noted a wave of Puff Bar look-alikes and counterfeit disposables. In December 2020, CBP seized 42 shipments of disposables resembling Puff Bar on their way to Texas, FDA reported.

Today's best sellers face the same squeeze. Geek Bar, Raz and Lost Mary have no legal US sales channel, and 11 states also ban the sale of vapes missing from a state list or lacking an FDA filing, as our Geek Bar ban page tracks. Reuters reported in June 2025 that tariffs and a federal crackdown had brought vape shipments from China to a near halt and squeezed Geek Bar supply, and CBP's Operation Red Mist seized more than 18 million vapes worth over $175 million (announced May 13, 2026). Geek Bar says it has had reports of counterfeit Geek Bar Pulse vapes in the US and blames counterfeiters chasing profit.

How to Avoid Fake Vapes in Colorado

To avoid fake vapes in Colorado, buy in person from a licensed shop. Since July 1, 2021, every store that sells nicotine products has needed a state retailer license for each location, at $400 a year, and the state's Liquor and Tobacco Enforcement Division posts a searchable list of license holders, with a monthly list last dated September 8, 2026. Denver shops need a city retail tobacco store license as well.

Skip online sellers. Colorado bans shipping vapes to consumers, and only a licensed Colorado shop with a state delivery permit may deliver, as our Colorado vape laws page explains. Our directory of Colorado vape shops lists shops by city, and no shop can pay to rank. A license doesn't make an unauthorized vape legal, though. If it's Geek Bar you want, our Geek Bar near me guide explains where it stands.

Fake Vapes FAQ

This fake vapes FAQ answers the questions shoppers ask most.