How Do Anti-Counterfeiting Labels Get Cracked by Counterfeiters? The Attack-and-Defense Battle of 5 Mainstream Anti-Counterfeiting Technologies

Last year, a piece of news came out: the anti-counterfeiting labels of a certain brand of baijiu were replicated by counterfeiters, with 2 million fake labels flowing into the market—resulting in a loss of 80 million.

Many people were puzzled: their anti-counterfeiting labels used laser holograms + QR codes + digital coatings—theoretically "triple anti-counterfeiting"—so how were they still replicated?

The answer must be viewed from the counterfeiter's perspective—the way they break anti-counterfeiting measures is completely different from the way anti-counterfeiting manufacturers design them. I have spent 11 years in the anti-counterfeiting industry and have "dealt with" counterfeiters—this article thoroughly explains this cat-and-mouse game.

The Fundamentals of the Attack-and-Defense Battle

The anti-counterfeiting manufacturer's approach: "What can I add to make it harder for counterfeiters to replicate?"

The counterfeiter's approach: "To what extent do I need to replicate it so that consumers can't tell the difference?"

These two approaches are inherently adversarial — anti-counterfeiting manufacturers add complexity, while counterfeiters look for a "simplified version." Below is a record of the attack-and-defense game across five mainstream technologies.

1. Ink Anti-Counterfeiting (Weakest)

Principle: Printed with special inks (fluorescent, thermochromic, optically variable), which are difficult for ordinary people to replicate.

How counterfeiters break it:

• Fluorescent ink — the same type of fluorescent powder can be bought online for 200 RMB
• Thermochromic ink — professional thermochromic powder costs 500 RMB/kg, which counterfeiters can afford
• Optically variable ink — slightly more difficult, but professional printing houses can handle it

Real case: A cosmetics brand used thermochromic ink anti-counterfeiting in 2019. Counterfeiters purchased the same thermochromic powder to imitate it, and 500,000 pieces were replicated within 6 months.

Conclusion: Pure ink anti-counterfeiting can only fool ordinary consumers and cannot stop professional counterfeiters. It is recommended as a "base layer", combined with 1-2 other anti-counterfeiting layers.

2. QR Code Anti-Counterfeiting (Most Common)

Principle: Each label has a unique QR code; scan to verify authenticity.

How Counterfeiters Break It:

• Method A (Basic): Copy the same QR code onto all counterfeit products. Consumers scan once and it's genuine; scanning a second time still shows genuine.
• Method B (Advanced): The counterfeiter hacks the verification server and dynamically generates a "fake code database". When consumers scan, it shows "genuine", but the server is actually controlled by the counterfeiter.
• Method C (Most Common): The counterfeiter directly copies the genuine product's QR code database; one scan verifies, 100 scans also verify.

Real Case: A certain milk powder brand used QR code anti-counterfeiting, and counterfeiters copied a database of 80,000 genuine QR codes onto their fake products. When consumers scanned, 90% displayed "genuine".

Conclusion: The key to QR code anti-counterfeiting is "one item, one code"—each product has an independent code that cannot be reused. However, counterfeiters can copy in bulk, so additional layers must be added (coatings, position-destruct features, etc.).

3. Laser Holographic Anti-Counterfeiting (Medium)

Principle: Uses laser-engraved holographic patterns, identifiable by the naked eye.

How Counterfeiters Break It:

• Plan A: Purchase the original holographic master plate and replicate it — cost RMB 50,000–150,000 (professional laser equipment)
• Plan B: Purchase similar holographic materials available on the market (not brand-exclusive), which consumers cannot distinguish
• Plan C: Purchase an opened genuine product label, scan it, and reprint it — but positioning accuracy is poor and noticeable on high-end products

Real Case: A luxury brand used laser holographic anti-counterfeiting; counterfeiters bought the same laser equipment to replicate it, and 300,000 counterfeit units entered the market.

Conclusion: Laser holography alone has limited anti-counterfeiting value. It must be paired with brand-exclusive design (irreproducible small details) + one item one code to be effective.

4. RFID Anti-Counterfeiting (Strongest)

Principle: Each tag has a unique ID chip that cannot be physically replicated.

How Counterfeiters Break It:

• Solution A: Crack the RFID write protocol and forge chip IDs—extremely costly (requires a professional chip laboratory)
• Solution B: Recycle genuine RFID tags and reattach them to counterfeit goods—but RFID tags are typically designed for destructive use (destroyed upon removal)
• Solution C: Completely shield the RFID (wrap in aluminum foil)—consumers cannot scan it, but merchants can actively verify

Real Case: A luxury brand used RFID anti-counterfeiting; counterfeiters tried three cracking methods and failed, eventually abandoning that product category.

Conclusion: RFID is currently the hardest anti-counterfeiting method to crack. However, the unit cost is 1–5 yuan (ink anti-counterfeiting is 0.1–0.3 yuan), so a trade-off is needed.

5. Thermochromic Ink (Medium)

Principle: The color changes when touched by hand or blown on with breath.

How counterfeiters break it:

• Thermochromic ink has a relatively high unit price (500–1,500 RMB/kg), which counterfeiters can afford
• However, it requires professional color matching, so ordinary counterfeiters cannot get the color right after purchasing it

Real case: A high-end cosmetics brand used thermochromic ink for anti-counterfeiting; it took counterfeiters 18 months to crack it, but during that period they were caught 5 times.

Conclusion: Thermochromic ink is a "medium cost + medium anti-counterfeiting" solution. Using it alone is not reliable, but it works well when combined with other measures.

5 Recommended Technology Combinations

Practical recommendations (by price tier):

• Basic tier (100-300 RMB per 1,000 pieces): QR code + ink, suitable for fast-moving consumer goods
• Advanced tier (500-1,500 RMB per 1,000 pieces): QR code + laser hologram + ink 3-layer combination
• Premium tier (2,000-5,000 RMB per 1,000 pieces): RFID + QR code + ink, suitable for luxury goods

To view more anti-counterfeiting case studies—refer to the new energy battery QR code label case study, or directly contact a LeXiang Packaging consultant, and receive your anti-counterfeiting solution + quotation comparison within 24 hours.