COD Scams in the Vape Market: How to Spot Fake Sellers on Instagram
A customer from Faisalabad messaged me last month. He'd paid Rs.3,200 COD for what he thought was an IVG 8K. Opened the box — a leaking counterfeit with a cracked screen and juice already staining the sleeve. The Instagram page? Deleted by the time he tried to complain.
This happens every single week. And it's getting worse.
Look, I run IVG Pakistan, so obviously I've got skin in this game. But I'm not writing this to sell you something. I'm writing because I've seen roughly 40+ customer complaints in the last 90 days alone — people burned by fake Instagram pages selling counterfeit vapes with our brand's name slapped on the box. Some got dry pods. Some got devices that died in 3 days. One person in Karachi paid for an IVG Pro Pod and got a completely different Chinese knockoff with peeling stickers.
So here's what I've learned about spotting the scams. From the receiving end.
The Instagram Fake Vape Playbook (and How I Got Fooled Once)
Confession first. When I started IVG Pakistan, I actually thought counterfeits were mostly a China-import problem — factory fakes shipped straight from Shenzhen. I was wrong. Turns out the bigger issue is closer to home. Local resellers refilling used pods, or buying grey-market stock, then flipping it on Instagram at prices that look like a bargain.
Here's the pattern I keep seeing on fake vape Pakistan pages:
They post daily. Aggressive stories. Countdown timers. "Only 3 left!" energy. The bio has emojis, a WhatsApp number, sometimes a fake "Official Distributor" tag. Followers are usually between 4K and 20K — high enough to look legit, low enough that nobody's investigating.
Then the prices. An IVG 8K at Rs.2,400? Not possible. Our authentic 8K — 8000 puffs, 35mg nic salt, 600mAh USB-C rechargeable with the dual mesh coil and the little digital screen — retails at Rs.3,999. Anyone selling it for Rs.2,400 is either flipping expired stock, refilled devices, or straight-up counterfeits printed to look like the real thing. There's no wholesale magic that gets you 40% under retail. The margins don't exist.
And the reviews on their page? Look closer. Screenshots of DMs with no context. Same three people commenting on every post. "Bhai product original hai kya?" — answered by another account that follows only that seller. It's a whole ecosystem of fake trust.
The COD Vape Scam — Why "Pay on Delivery" Isn't Always Safe
Here's the thing about COD. Everyone assumes cash on delivery means zero risk. If the product's bad, don't pay, right?
Wrong. And I got this wrong myself when I first started explaining COD to customers.
The scam works like this. Courier arrives. You've got 30 seconds — maybe a minute — while the rider is waiting on his bike, engine running, three more deliveries to make. You hand over Rs.3,000. He hands over a sealed box. He leaves. You open the box. It's fake. Now what?
The Instagram page has blocked you. The WhatsApp number is offline. The courier company only knows the sender by a fake business name registered to a residential address in some other city. You've technically "accepted" the parcel, so the courier company won't refund. The scammer's already paid out.
Some of the shadier operators use a rotation. New Instagram page every 6-8 weeks. They milk it, get flagged, shut it down, start again with a new handle and "grand opening" discounts. I've watched the same guy do this four times in a year. Same product photos. Same phone number in the last two digits.
So how do you protect yourself with a real COD vape order?
First — inspect at the door. Every legit seller in Pakistan (us included) allows box inspection before you pay. If the rider says "no, pay first, open later" — that's your red flag. Refuse the parcel. You won't get charged. TCS, Leopards, M&P — all of them let you inspect if the sender has authorised it. If the sender hasn't, the sender is hiding something.
Second — check the serial number and scratch panel. Real IVG products (the 8K, the Regal 6000, the Max Bar, the Intense Salts bottles) all have a scratch-off authenticity code on the packaging. You scratch it, you enter it on the IVG global verification site, and it tells you if it's genuine. Fakes either have no scratch panel, or the code returns "invalid" or "already checked" — meaning it was cloned from a real batch.
Third — pricing sanity check. IVG Regal 6000 is Rs.3,499. Intense Salts 30ml is Rs.2,999. IVG Recharge pod system is Rs.5,499. If someone's offering these at 30% below what our official pricing shows, ask yourself what they know that nobody else does. Usually the answer is: they know it's not real.
How to Verify You're Buying Real IVG Pakistan
This is the part I care about most. Because honestly, even if you don't buy from us — I'd rather you buy authentic somewhere else than get scammed and think all vapes are junk.
Start with the brand itself. IVG is a UK company. Founded 2016. Over 50 international awards including Best UK Brand in 2019, 2021, and 2022, plus Innovation of the Decade in 2025. Sold in Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's — literally the biggest supermarket chains in Britain. Present in 100+ countries. This isn't a random label somebody printed on a knockoff. It's a real regulated brand with traceable supply chains.
For Pakistan, we're the official channel. That means our stock comes direct — not through a middleman in Dubai buying grey-market pallets, not through some "cousin in London" scheme. Direct from IVG UK, with authenticity codes intact, warranty valid, and every SKU matching what's sold globally.
Things I'd check before trusting any seller claiming "real IVG Pakistan":
- Do they have a proper website with SSL, a returns policy, and a physical address? Not just an Instagram DM setup.
- Does their pricing match global IVG pricing adjusted for Pakistan? Rs.3,999 for 8K, Rs.3,499 for Regal 6000, Rs.2,999 for Intense Salts. Big discounts are suspicious.
- Do they offer free returns and a clear COD inspection policy? We do — nationwide, 4-day shipping, and you can open the box before paying.
- Are the product photos actually IVG's official photos, or blurry phone snaps from a hand? Fakes almost always use real IVG marketing images stolen from Google. Then the actual product that arrives looks nothing like the photo.
- Do they list specific specs — mAh, puff count, coil type, mg strength — or just say "original quality guaranteed"? Scammers hate specifics because they don't know the specs of what they're selling.
One more thing. If you're ever unsure, message us directly through the website or WhatsApp. I've personally answered questions from people who ended up buying elsewhere — because they just wanted to confirm the specs looked right. That's fine. I'd rather build the trust than push a sale.
The Cities Where This Is Worst
From our complaint data — Karachi and Lahore lead by a wide margin, which makes sense because that's where volume is. But what surprised me is how many scam reports come from smaller towns. Multan, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Hyderabad. Because the local supply is thinner in those cities, buyers rely more on Instagram, and scammers know it.
If you're in Sukkur or Bahawalpur or somewhere the physical retail options are limited — please, please verify the seller before dropping Rs.3,000+ on COD. Ask them to send a video of the actual product with a timestamp. Ask for the scratch code before shipping. A real seller will do this. A scammer will get defensive or ghost you.
And if you've already been scammed — report the Instagram page (Meta does actually take down repeat offenders eventually), report the phone number to PTA, and share your experience publicly. It won't get your money back. But it might stop the next person.
FAQ
How do I know if my IVG vape is real?
Check for the authenticity scratch panel on the packaging. Scratch it, enter the code on the IVG verification portal, and you'll get a confirmation. Also — check the print quality of the box, the weight of the device (fakes are usually lighter), and whether the airflow adjuster and USB-C port feel solid or loose. If you bought from us, every unit is verifiable.
Is COD safe for buying vapes in Pakistan?
COD is safe if the seller allows box inspection before payment. Always open the parcel in front of the rider. If the seller has instructed the courier not to allow inspection, that's a scam signal. Refuse the delivery — you won't be charged. All our COD orders across Pakistan come with inspection allowed by default.
Why are Instagram vape prices so much cheaper than websites?
Because they're usually not selling what they claim. The three common reasons: refilled or used pods, counterfeit devices, or expired stock past shelf life. Real IVG pricing is standardised globally. There's no legitimate way to sell an IVG 8K for Rs.2,400 when the wholesale itself costs more than that.
What should I do if I already got scammed?
Report the Instagram page to Meta (use the "scam or fraud" option, not just "spam"). File a complaint with PTA against the phone number. Post about it publicly with screenshots so others don't get caught. If you paid via bank transfer or Easypaisa, contact your provider immediately — sometimes reversals are possible within 24 hours. Cash COD is harder to recover, but reporting still helps take the page down.
If you want to double-check something before you buy — even from a competitor — send me a message. I'll tell you honestly if the specs and pricing look real or not. That's the least we can do.