Selling stolen goods, weapons and contraband pays well in Probably Stolen, and Security exists to make it cost you. Inspections, evidence and investigations can end in a fine or an arrest. The store page lists hiding stolen goods and contraband from the authorities, or bribing your way out if caught, as a core feature.
How Security Works
Security watches the shop through inspections, officer visits and customers who are really fishing for evidence. Your dealings generate evidence, which feeds a suspected crime level, and Security runs investigations against the shop. The confirmed steps are below.
Evidence builds up and your suspected crime level rises.
An investigation runs, and investigation warnings appear.
When the investigation completes, a Security officer visits the next morning.
The officer's sentence is decided on arrival: a fine or an arrest, depending on your record at that point.
Your record decays each night, and the fixers from Wild's Network can lower it faster. Since Update 049, a record that drops into fine territory before the officer arrives results in a fine rather than an arrest, and Security can no longer arrest you over a fine you can afford to pay.
Inspections
The store page says weapons bring inspections and contraband brings raids. A security inspector visits the shop. Patch 48.3.12 closed an exploit in which players showed contraband in the display case, hid it in the smuggler bay and passed the resulting inspection for free Security reputation; such inspections no longer grant it.
Contraband
Contraband items carry tags. One pre-release screenshot shows the Peacemaker Heavy SMG from Meridian Ballistics tagged Contraband, Weapon, Firearm, Midline and Moddable, and marked High-Level Contraband. Weapons also require permits and modifications. Smuggler's containers appear in pre-release screenshots.
The Smuggler Bay and Underground Exchange
The smuggler bay hides contraband from inspections. Advanced licenses unlock the underground market, and the underground exchange for the smuggler bay takes priority over temporary exchange deals since Update 049. Sawyer gives the player the Underground Exchange Directive, which uses item sprites such as a cyanide pill for Poison. The Sawyer's Crew starting perk is tied to him; see Starting Scenarios and Perks.
Reporting Customers
The Model Citizen perk pays a credit bonus for reporting criminal customers, raised from 20% to 50% in Update 049. A setting lets you call Security instantly. Security also posts a wanted poster with bounties; since Update 049, arresting Odin after calling him for a delivery correctly crosses him off it. The butcher is among the customers who can be reported.
Getting Out of Trouble
Option | How It Works |
|---|---|
Bribes | Pay your way out; items donated to the trade board official count toward a bribe |
Wild's Fixers | For a nightly fee, fixers silence witnesses and clean up evidence Security has not yet collected, lowering your suspected crime level faster |
Hiring Wild | Wild can be hired to remove evidence |
Janitorial service | Access depends on Black Market reputation; at minus 40 you keep access, but the cost doubles |
Intimidating perk | Reduces evidence generation by 33% |
The information dealer sells information about events. Reputation with Security and the Black Market is covered on Factions and Reputation.
Thieves
The Thief is a customer whose stock scales with your Black Market reputation. The Security Alarm gives the shop a theft prevention rate, which Update 049 stopped from going below zero.
Mob Justice
Security is not the only threat. The store page warns that shopkeepers who cut quality, relabel fakes or fence stolen goods face mob justice. Customers who were sold bad goods can come back for you; the Water Trading page shows one example.
Augs and the Gun
Security's Augmented Identification Guide lists how to spot rogue AI hosts, and you keep a gun at the counter. Certain essential recurring customers cannot be shot. See Augs and the Rogue AI.