Nigel, you're doing it again. I know you're knowledgeable in many areas, but you're throwing out assumptions without any specific knowledge in this field and talking like it's fact or at least obvious common sense. It's inappropriate, I mean it's like saying those MOSFET people couldn't possibly get by without any base current and you know this because you've got 40 yrs of experience with bipolar transistors.
It's not a hoax, people mod these things ALL the time.
Now red laser pointers are universally too crappy to increase the power.
GREEN lasers are typically mfg'ed capable of fairly strong power. There is apparently no cost advantage to building one smaller. Law in the USA limits them to 5mW so they use an adjuster to get 5mW. Most of these pointers can be boosted simply by readjusting them. This can get several times the official "rated" power, like 5mW-> 10mW-20mW. SOME will not last like this. Most will.
The burners are typically specially mfg'ed devices, not a simple modified laser pointer. These have become frighteningly cheap to mfg. I assume that the stories of pilots getting blinded by laser pointers were actually from these biggies or at least a boosted green pointer.
As you saw, WickedLasers.com sells major burners, they're a quality company but hardly the only one.
THESE guys know all about burners and laser hacking:
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=53
Very, very knowledgeable people. They can pretty much tell you what will burn out prematurely and what won't. They also know which vendors have good deals on quality high-powered lasers. They frequently buy bargain green lasers from eBay and report back on what quality they got from which seller.