How can you protect your products from counterfeiting using QR codes?
02/08/2025
Today, there are many manufacturers of premium and luxury goods.
Unfortunately, dishonest producers can purchase equipment capable of producing counterfeit goods at a fraction of the cost and pass them off as originals.
A few dozen countries with high social responsibility and effective governments don’t see this as a major issue. However, in second- and third-world countries, the situation is quite the opposite.
In these countries, it's often difficult to find authentic products. Counterfeits are sold everywhere, and sometimes even at higher prices than the originals.
We are confident that the simplest and most effective solution is the use of QR codes with uniqueness verification functionality.
These QR codes contain a long, unique alphanumeric UUID that cannot be guessed using algorithms.
Hologram protection is expensive—and can also be faked.
The most common counterfeit examples:
⦁ Fake watches and accessories
Apple accessories are among the most frequently counterfeited.
Apple produces high-quality products with minimalist design—both the items and their packaging.
For example, a 1-meter iPhone cable retails for $19.
Visually similar knock-offs sell for just $2.
Unfortunately, counterfeit producers are willing to break the law for a tenfold profit.
In most countries, law enforcement does not control the counterfeit market.
And how can they verify a fake, if even Apple hasn’t provided a way to do so?
This has led to a situation where, for over 10 years in many countries, the number of fake cables is so overwhelming that finding an original is nearly impossible.
There are even sellers who market high-quality Apple knock-offs for more than the original, deceiving customers by claiming they are 100% authentic.
Even an authorized Apple distributor would struggle in a country where 99% of the market is fake.
Retail chains see no point in selling originals when competitors are all selling counterfeits.
⦁ Fake perfumes
Many people don’t know what real perfume smells like—unless you live in France, where counterfeiting is treated as a serious crime.
People in second- and third-world countries may never have experienced the scent of a genuine perfume, making it easy to deceive them with a fancy box that mimics the original.
Perfume deception is easy due to the nature of scents.
Some shops offer real tester bottles, but sell fakes. After sampling 10 perfumes, customers can’t even tell the original anymore.
A small bottle of authentic perfume can cost €70 or more,
While the cost of packaging, a glass bottle, and 50g of alcohol with fragrance is much lower.
This makes perfume a popular target for counterfeiting globally.
⦁ Fake luxury clothing
There are manufacturers specializing in luxury clothing, often with trendy designs that aren’t complex to produce.
Some counterfeiters start replicating items the moment they see them in the brand’s online store.
More skilled ones buy original items, take them apart, and create highly accurate copies.
High-quality printing equipment has become quite affordable in recent years,
Making it easy to fake labels and brand tags.
⦁ Fake beverages
Mineral water is easy to fake—just a clear liquid in a PET bottle.
Expensive drinks like cognac are also frequently counterfeited.
Many countries use excise stamps to prove taxes have been paid, but even these can be faked.
⦁ Fake medicines — the most dangerous kind
In Africa, it's estimated that around 40% of medicines are counterfeit!
Many pills are white and easy to replicate without major investment.
Fake medicines can lead to fatal consequences.
When producers fail to protect their products, they take on massive reputational risk.
They may invest heavily in quality and advertising,
But if the customer ends up with a fake—stays sick or even gets poisoned—they will tell their doctor and friends that the medicine is terrible, genuinely believing it was the real thing.
That’s why we urge all manufacturers to protect their products using our QR code authenticity verification system.
How authenticity verification works for the customer:
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The customer scans the QR code printed on the packaging or the product itself—using their phone camera (no special app required).
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They are taken to our or your website, where they can see how many times the QR code has been scanned.
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If the QR code has been scanned more than once, this is a red flag.
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If the product is counterfeit, the QR code may have been copied and reused.
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You can also show the customer:
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Official website and social media of the brand
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List of authorized resellers
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Product certificates
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Photos of authentic products
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A checklist for verifying authenticity
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In this case, the buyer can reject the purchase or request proof of authenticity from the seller or manufacturer.
How it works for the manufacturer:
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You send a request for integration to: [email protected]
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We find the best solution for your needs.
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We provide recommendations on printing and QR code placement.
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We send you unique QR codes for placing on your products or set up automatic generation.
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Through your dashboard on our website, you can track scan statistics.
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If you notice high scan counts for a single QR code, it's a clear sign your product is being counterfeited.
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You can enable GPS location requests (optional). If the customer approves, you can see the exact scan location.
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We guarantee that we will not have access to your production volumes or customer data.
We wish you rapid sales growth and confident customers who trust your products!