r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • May 05 '26

Serious (META) Any DMs you get claiming to use an app verify your cards authenticity are SCAMS!

7 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

tldr: More accounts are DMing users who post claiming they can authenticate and then push the results from their app. This sub has nothing to do with them, has banned them for it, and they usually want you to sign up for their "service" which you already get for free here. At best its unsolicited marketing, at worst it will be a scam. Report to reddit, report to the mods to make sure they are banned, ignore or block the users who do this.

Mods have been receiving messages that users posting keep receiving direct messages from others offering to authenticate, value, grade, and whatever else their cards. Sometimes they ask for more photos, sometimes they just use what has been posted. The funny part is that they often use ai to determine fake or authentic and can often be wrong.

Anyways, this post is mostly for awareness to be suspect of any DMs you get claiming to help verify authenticity and always check the accounts. Report to reddit if you can, block if you can, but please please please, do not give anyone money who is telling you they can determine the authenticity of your cards over the internet.

This sub is not, nor will it ever be, affiliated with any kind of paid service for crowd sourced information. Thats not what this sub is for, nor is it helpful to people just trying to understand if a card is fake.

Feel free to comment anything that you feel needs to be addressed in the sub to be looked into. Thanks everyone for being helpful!


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • Aug 29 '25

other Fake PSA Slab Cheat Sheet: Font Edition

Post image
368 Upvotes

Thought I would share a little cheat sheet that illustrates the biggest differences in font that I look for when evaluating the legitimacy of PSA Slabs. The K, G, and 7 are always the biggest/quickest giveaways for me, but there are some others that can be easily identified as well. Feel free to share this image with anyone that might need it ❤️

Happy Hunting!


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 4h ago

product I found this lot in a bundle I bought for $25, are they real?

Thumbnail
gallery
232 Upvotes

I of course didn’t unseal the Aquapolis booster box, it was already undone, and I just took the packs out. I also haven’t opened any packs. Please let me know if there are other angles of the packs or boxes I need to get to verify if this is real. Thanks!


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 11h ago

modern It this fake?

Thumbnail
gallery
105 Upvotes

r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 1h ago

modern Saw this on FB marketplace

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

I've reported it for being counterfeit but Facebook didn't take it down 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 8h ago

modern Can you spot the fake?

Thumbnail
gallery
45 Upvotes

Both have the typical chinese stamp.


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 5h ago

vintage Found in a pile of bulk

Thumbnail
gallery
20 Upvotes

Found an old pile of cards from when I was little and found this in it. Does anyone know if it’s real or not?

Thank you in advance!


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 1d ago

vintage Good japanese fakes have flooded the market, here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.

Thumbnail
gallery
1.1k Upvotes

Finally received the “new” Japanese fakes that have fixed a couple things we saw issue with in the last batch. These no longer have lines in the holo or a plain yellow border. The backgrounds in the foil are more prevalent. So we are gonna walk through the red flags so as you are buying you know what to look for.

I will also add that I’m very frustrated as half my order was missing and several of the cards are the wrong ones for example I bought a CD promo set, but received a CD promo Venusaur, Squirtle Starter Deck Blastoise and XY 2016 promo Charizard.

We will start off with what makes these promos “good” in photos 3 & 4. Comparing Venusaurs, card feel is extremely similar and appears the same in photos, the fake is more “matte”, and the holo is spot on, there’s no more lines and the feel/reflection is the same.

The red flags are visible however in photos 5-10:

  1. Fakes Rosette pattern is too small, it’s correct, but smaller than the real deal

  2. The most obvious sign, the colorless energies are missing the bottom shadow, the fire energy has a white spot instead of a white reflection and the font for Ken Sugimori is incorrect

  3. Pokemon in the evolution box is too fuzzy and pixelated

  4. Back has the correct rosette pattern but is too dark. It is also slightly pixelated but it’s hard to see in photos

  5. Card stock from the side is thicker and the black line is obvious on the fake

  6. Print quality on some, such as Charizard shown, is pixelated and poor up close

Last minute tips: light test is pointless, light does not go through holo cards. Rip test is also pointless you can damage real cards. Scammers can post real cards and send you the above fakes, examine the cards as you receive them! Not just in the sales photos. Buy from reputable sellers that didn’t pop up in the last 3 years riding the hype train. Plenty of these are fooling vendors and card shops sadly and it’s because they use the old ways of verifying (stagnant holo, off color, wrong border size, etc) these obviously do not have those issues.

So given these tips, can you determine which Japanese vintage in the last photo are fake or real?


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 13h ago

modern My girlfriend got me a 30th booster bundle for our anniversary

Post image
40 Upvotes

I fully believe she wouldn’t buy anything fake on purpose but the market is so untrusting


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 4h ago

vintage Fossil Zapdos real?

Thumbnail
gallery
4 Upvotes

Just need some insight before purchase ^^. TYVM!


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 3h ago

vintage Found at a Garage Sale and bought for 10$. Are they fake lol?

Post image
4 Upvotes

r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 22m ago

Thick and heavy card, is it fake?

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

Bought this off TCG player from what they deem, a trusted seller. The card feels like someone just took a normal Pokémon card and put a sticker over it. I feel like there’s bubbles and if I were to peel it, the sticker would come off. And if it is fake, why would someone fake a card this cheap?


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 23m ago

other Is this 151 card real

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

It seems legit but the corners have a tiny opening like if the edges weren't pressed fully


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 1h ago

Found my old cards

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

​

Just found some of my old cards (had never been kept in sleeves or anything so have some damage) and I am trying to figure out if these ones in particular are real or fake.

I've tried my best with the photos

Thanks


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 5h ago

Got these at a local shop but wanted make sure they real

Thumbnail
gallery
5 Upvotes

r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 1h ago

modern are these real?

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 3h ago

product Gengar 151 surprise box

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

I know these are faked a lot, this box everything checks out on i’m pretty sure? I am new to the hobby so help would be appreciated.
It has the 4 perforation tabs, and the semi transparent pokeball, the wrap is not too tight but i’m still not 100% sure.


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 4h ago

modern I saw this on market place and wanted to check before I bought

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

I saw all of these cards on marketplace and wanted to make sure that they were real before I went ahead and bought them. I know that there is like a rainbow sheen to look out for but I do not know exactly what that means.

I asked how much and they were being sold for about 320 so I want to make sure before I buy any of them.

Thank you in advance


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 3h ago

Serious Is this Shining Lugia real?

Thumbnail
gallery
2 Upvotes

Got this on tcg. Does the front bordering have to match the back?


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 15m ago

These are fake as hell aren't they

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

Hi, I got this tin a few years ago (I'd wager around 2017) from my friend and haven't really touched the cards inside.

I opened them again a while back but I seriously don't know if they're real, the backs of the ones I have are washed out and the numbers of the powers and etc don't match when I search them up.

I put a new card aside the old one so you guys can see the difference. I know chances are that it's fake, but I'd rather just have it confirmed than wonder.


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 17m ago

Is this psa slab tampered with?

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

There are two holes/dents on each side of the slab?
Never seen these before in any slabs


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 1d ago

Some folks requested a video of the fakes from my last post, here is a comparison of the Blastoises

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

122 Upvotes

r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 24m ago

Shadowless Venusaur Real?

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

Anyone know if this is legit? Can get more pics if needed


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 26m ago

vintage Tangela (Cardass 1997)

Thumbnail
gallery
• Upvotes

Just got this Tangela (Cardass 1997) and noticed some red flags. The first was that the back was considerably brighter than my other cardass cards and the text on the back is not bold like my other cards.

Is this a normal variation or is it a fake?


r/IsMyPokemonCardFake • • 36m ago

vintage Considering buying

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

• Upvotes

Any help is appreciated!