How to Avoid Counterfeit Pokémon Cards: What Official Guidelines Say and Where to Report

This article summarizes official guidelines on fake (counterfeit) products from Pokémon Support and the official Japanese website, as well as reporting and consultation channels in South Korea. Identification tips not found in official sources have been excluded.

Verification Methods Recommended Directly by Official Support

The Pokémon Support counterfeit cards document presents four methods:

• Hold the card up to a bright light. The document states that counterfeit cards often let light shine through when held up to a bright light, making this a good way to spot fakes.
• Ask a specialty card shop for an appraisal. It advises that if there is a store nearby that specializes in trading cards, you can have suspicious cards evaluated.
• Familiarize yourself with official packaging in advance. Since product images are posted on the official website, learning what actual products look like will prevent you from being fooled by imitations with completely different packaging.
• Be suspicious of prices. While acknowledging that fake booster packs are often very difficult to distinguish from genuine ones, the document states that a pack priced significantly below the suggested retail price is an almost certain warning sign of a counterfeit product.

The document also noted that flea markets are where the highest number of reports regarding counterfeit sales are received. However, it specified that light testing only works in "many cases." There is no basis in official documents to definitively conclude a card is authentic just because no issues are seen under light.

Three Secondary Market Risks Highlighted by Official Japanese Channels

In a caution notice released ahead of the release of the expansion pack 'Pokémon Card 151', the official Japanese Pokémon Card Game website listed three points to be careful of when using flea market apps and secondary platforms, not limited to this product alone:

• Listings of "counterfeit/fake products" have been confirmed.
• "Oripa" (original packs), which are packs assembled and sold by sellers using terms like "High SR Inclusion Rate," may actually contain those cards at low probabilities or not at all.
• Listings of so-called "searched packs/boxes," where packs containing foil cards such as SR or SAR have been removed through searching before selling the rest, have been confirmed.

This is a warning that even if the cards themselves are genuine, the expected contents may not be present.

Domestic Purchase Outlets and Reporting/Consultation Channels in South Korea

In South Korea, Pokémon Korea maintains a list of official "Pokémon Card Shop" locations on its website. As of the verification date, there are 16 locations. The official online store, Pokémon Store (pokemonstore.co.kr), is linked on the Pokémon Korea Support page.

Official channels available when counterfeit products are suspected are as follows:

• Pokémon Korea Support: Inquiries regarding illegal products and copyright can be sent to copyright@pokemonkorea.co.kr, and card game inquiries are handled at 1588-4273.
• Reporting to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (formerly KIPO): To request criminal punishment for trademark infringement (counterfeit goods), reports can be filed with the "Integrated Reporting and Consultation Center for Intellectual Property Infringement and Unfair Competition" (koipa.re.kr/ippolice, 1666-6464). The center accepts reports on counterfeit goods manufactured or distributed online and offline, as well as sellers, and operates a reward system for those who report manufacturers and distributors of counterfeit goods.
• Consumer Counseling: Post-purchase refund disputes can be consulted via 1372 (Fair Trade Commission Consumer Counseling Center) without an area code, and applications for damage relief can be submitted on the Korea Consumer Agency website.

Reporting does not automatically guarantee a refund. Reporting counterfeit goods is a procedure for punishing sellers, whereas getting a refund requires separate steps through consumer counseling, damage relief, or transaction platform procedures. Suspecting items priced excessively lower than suggested retail prices is the core warning of official documents.

---

Sources

• Pokémon Support · Did I purchase fake or counterfeit cards? (Updated 2026-05-26)
• ポケモンカードゲーム公式 · 「ポケモンカード151」売買に関する注意喚起 (Accessed 2026-10-28)
• Pokémon Korea · Pokémon Card Shop (Accessed 2026-10-28)
• Pokémon Korea · Customer Support (Accessed 2026-10-28)
• Korean Intellectual Property Office · Reporting Intellectual Property Infringement and Unfair Competition (Accessed 2026-10-28)
• Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency · One-Stop Reporting & Consultation Center for Intellectual Property Infringement (Accessed 2026-10-28)
• Korea Consumer Agency · Consultation and Damage Relief Information (Accessed 2026-10-28)