PPE News: Are Your 3M N95 Respirator Masks Fake or Real?

Millions of counterfeit masks are roaming the personal protective equipment market and are being sold to hospitals, nursing homes, and other medical groups that need it during the national N95 shortage. Wear Active LLC explains why there is a shortage and how you can tell if your 3M N95 respirator masks are fake or real.

What Is 3M?

3M is a multi-industry company that serves in various fields of industries such as worker safety, US health care, and consumer goods. This $99.73 billion company is known worldwide for its high-quality products that are manufactured and designed by its international community of 90,000+ employees.

It is no surprise that 3M sales have increased recently. According to Statista, 3M’s sales increased by $350 million during the ‘swine flu’ H1N1 virus pandemic that took place between 2009–210, and Statista also predicts that 3M will reach $1 billion in sales during the coronavirus pandemic.

What’s the Problem?

The majority of N95 masks in the US come from 3M which can add a lot of pressure on a company that is also supplying 50+ countries at the same time. Science Writer, David H. Freedman states in an article that “Up until the pandemic, N95s only accounted for less than 1% of the public company’s $32 billion in annual revenues.” Due to their lack of preparedness for an extreme demand and supply market change for N95 masks, they have just recently started working toward expanding their respirator production to meet the needs of the world.

Fake Sellers Have Entered the Market

Due to the demand for 3M’s respirator masks, fake sellers have entered the market to try to scam their way to potential riches during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Woodworking Network, “With the help of law enforcement and 30 law firms, 3M says it has seized more than 3.5 million counterfeit masks, forced the takedown of 14,000 posts on social media, removed close to 12,000 fraudulent online mask sellers, and filed 19 lawsuits.” The company has also stated that they have seized numerous counterfeit respirator masks from different countries.

How to Spot Fake 3M N95 Respirators

First off, let’s just state the facts that 3M can only produce up to 2 billion respirator masks this year so any sellers that claim that they have 1 billion 3M masks are surely lying. Also use the US Customs Service public records to observe the quantity of product coming into US ports because if they claim that they have a larger quantity of a product than the amount coming into the ports, you’ll know that they are lying. Also, make sure to always request samples before you purchase any large orders.

Fake N95 respirators tend to have:

• Fake/Mismatching Lot Numbers on Box & Mask -> Validate My 3M Product
• Firm on Outside / Minimal Padding Inside
• Incorrect Spelling / Missing Graphics
• Different Fonts
• Nose Foam Is Black Not Grey
• No Anti-Counterfeit Label / Sticker
• Not Lot Code or Info on Bottom of Box
• Doesn’t Have Silicon Straps
• Check Expiration Date (could be real but still expired)

Concluding Thoughts From Wear Active LLC

Wear Active LLC makes sure to go through all these precautions to ensure that we don’t give any of our clients counterfeit personal protective equipment. Our international team includes various manufacturers and experts that undergo quality checks on our products to confirm that your workplace will become safer with our health & medical supplies. Wear Active LLC is also working on releasing its own N95 mask and we will give you more updates as we get closer to fully producing the product. In the meantime, wear PPE and stay safe out there!