Spotting Fake Injectibles...?

[houseofpain]

I'm assuming the following to be true...

The chances of running across a faked glass ampule of gear are negligible because the originator would have to have the equipment to manufacture and seal a glass ampule.

The chances of running across a faked bottle of gear with a corked seal a much greater since it can be filled with nothing more than a syringe.

Given that both are true, are there any common ways to spot fakes or spot bottles that have been emptied and refilled?

 

[Dr. M]

There are actually a lot of fake amps around, for the very reason that they're difficult to fake... I know it's kind of counter-intuitive, but you're less likely to stare strangely at an amp than you are at a vial, right?

Best way I've found to spot fake amps is in the labelling - if it's crooked or peeling, if it smears or can be chipped off (except in certain cases, such as with Iranian test), etc. then it's probably bogus. It can be tough to really recognize these sorts of things until you've seen the real deal many times before. I'd suggest checking out gear pics and REALLY studying them before you buy; failing that, get a buddy who you trust to show you some of his real gear if he has any on hand at the time.

With vials, the best way I would imagine would be to look at the sealing of the lid. Are there tool-marks on the glass? Scratches or chips? Does the lid look like it was crimped by hand, or in a machine? Are there tool-marks on the lid? Is it a complete, factory seal? Look for puncture marks in the stopper, if it's exposed. Unfortunately, some of the vials have walls which are darkened to prevent light exposure so you can't check for cloudiness, precipitation, or colour in the case of gear like Fina which can be very yellow...

Best advice I can give you is: if it doesn't look factory, either don't buy/use it or talk to someone who you TRUST (and has nothing to gain from you buying scammer shit) who's been in the game for a long time and has probably seen a lot of this sort of thing before.

Hope this helps!
-M