Equip the magnifying glass on the lot, open the handbook, and check the three columns — logos, seal integrity and colour plates. Stop at the first confirmed discrepancy and confront the seller, because one discrepancy is enough to drop the price and enough to end the argument.
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Probably Stolen how to spot fakes: the three checks
The Mentor gives you two tools early, and they are the whole basis of the inspection economy: a magnifying glass and a handbook. The handbook carries the Hemingway identification guide for cigarettes plus a colour checker. Water Merchants begin with a tester kit; other professions buy the Water Trading Manual from Dr. Jackson.
Equip the magnifying glass.
On the pack or rare good.
Open the handbook.
For reference.
Check all three columns.
The logos, the seal and the colour plates.
Stop at the first confirmed discrepancy.
Confront the seller.
Refuse the lot if nothing fails.
If nothing fails but the price still stinks, refuse the lot.
Per-category tells:
| Category | What gives it away |
|---|---|
| Hemingway cigarettes | Closed-end logo geometry against an open one, an already-broken seal, or a colour that does not match the checker |
| Water jugs | Readings for purity, heavy metals and chemical contaminants |
| Rare goods | Needs appraisal so you do not overpay on dock junk |
| Fake weapons and permits | A raid risk rather than a discount opportunity |
Hemingway cigarettes are never sold without a security seal, so a missing or broken seal makes the pack a counterfeit on its own. Counterfeits also estimate consistently lower in value than genuine goods.
Keep two problems apart: stolen goods can be real and still hot, while counterfeit goods can be cold and still worthless.
Four ways to answer a fake
| Response | What it costs you | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
Confront for a discount | A wrong accusation costs reputation | The default, and it keeps the relationship |
Refuse the lot | Nothing, if you never accused | Nothing failed but the price is wrong |
Buy it anyway | The risk, which is bad when rent is due | Only when the estimate holds up |
Relabel with the blue and red labelers | A chosen crime needing a hiding spot and a bribe budget | When you have both already |
A correct accusation makes the seller drop the price. A wrong one costs reputation, and reputation both buys access and paints a target on you — so the underground market page covers what you would need before choosing relabelling.
Why fakes show up at all
You do not need to seek them out. Cigarette bait in the display case draws cigarette sellers, including chances to meet dock fakes, which is why the display case guide pairs bait choice with inspection capability. Counterfeits arrive from the docks whether you asked for them or not, and reselling one you failed to catch still hurts your name.
Reporting wanted faces is a separate exercise from authentication: matching a scar, collar or eyebrow on a poster can net a bounty, with 100 credits appearing in one public session. Do not confuse "this pack is fake" with "this face is on a poster".