A forged Apple employee badge

Authenticity of the Apple badge

• Most commenters conclude the badge is fake, citing:
  • A known early employee saying the photo is not the person named on the badge.
  • The badge’s date and design inconsistencies vs. another known early badge (#8 vs. #10 issue dates, different fonts, dimensions, camera quality).
  • The lamination looks artificially “sandpapered”; the inner photo/paper appears worn while the outer plastic and badge hole show almost no use.
  • The “map” on the back is traced from a known online floor plan.
• A minority argue some specific “clues” (e.g., issue-date ordering) are weak by themselves and internet detective work can be overconfident, but they still generally accept the badge is fake overall.

Forged German Red Cross invoice & cultural tells

• German speakers dismantle the invoice:
  • Wrong date format (slashes instead of dots).
  • Currency notation “DEM” and “3.000” DM price seen as implausible and/or misused.
  • Missing legally required information, VAT, and standard tax phrases.
  • Awkward or AI-like translations (e.g., “Wir danken Ihnen für Ihr Unternehmen/Geschäft”) that don’t fit a German invoice.
  • Use of “ZIP” vs. “PLZ”, odd embossing (EU-style stars), US Letter–like paper size.
• Many see the invoice as fabricated solely to create plausible deniability (“I bought it from the Red Cross on eBay in 2001”) rather than genuine provenance.

Typewriters, printing, and typography

• Long subthread debating whether the text quality matches an IBM Selectric:
  • Some say the clean, perfectly aligned text is too good for a 1970s typewriter.
  • Others counter that electric typewriters with carbon ribbons can produce very crisp output; misalignment depends on machine condition, paper, and ribbon type.
  • Links and anecdotes show real Selectric output often has visible alignment quirks; the badge’s text may be “too perfect.”

eBay, fraud, and collector behavior

• Many say eBay is rife with fakes across categories (memorabilia, software, phones, coins); enforcement is weak.
• Some describe buyers as “not powerless” due to chargebacks, while others note policy shifts and account bans make this risky.
• Several argue the story’s real lesson is: assume high-value memorabilia is fake unless backed by robust, checkable provenance.

Certificates of authenticity and trust

• Discussion on how to trust certificates:
  • You must trust the issuing body; that trust is ultimately social, legal, and reputational (“shared hallucination/intersubjectivity”).
  • Commenters compare this to CAs, rating agencies, and currency: the cryptography or paperwork only helps once a root of trust exists.
  • Some note this creates opportunities for meta-fraud (fake certificates, or certifying other certifiers).

Ethics, law, and “victimless” claims

• One line of argument: publicly calling someone a forger risks defamation; if the evidence is strong, better to go to authorities.
• Others respond that truth is a defense and the red flags are overwhelming; sharing analysis protects future buyers.
• A few frame the sale as near “victimless”: wealthy, low-due-diligence collectors pay for feelings more than facts.
• Counterpoint: it’s still fraud; buyers deserve accurate information and platforms should remove such sellers.

Forgery craft, motivation, and escalation

• Several are impressed by the effort (badge, invoice, sob-story, multiple “collectible” listings) but see clear patterns of fakery, including other dubious items (concert tickets, “signed” letters).
• Commenters note Cunningham’s Law: this analysis may help future forgers improve, but also helps detectors know what to scrutinize.
• Some suspect the forger enjoys the craft itself; others see it as a straightforward grift that pays until caught.

Broader side threads: typewriters, focus, and tools

• Extensive tangents on:
  • Why some people still use typewriters (focus, analog constraint, aesthetics).
  • Single-purpose “digital typewriters” vs. distraction-prone computers.
  • OCR quality (good on clean type, harder on receipts) and modern handwriting recognition.
• These tie back indirectly: understanding period tools and media is key to spotting anachronisms in forgeries.