Probably Stolen augs: Identification & Survival Guide

Probably Stolen augs turn an ordinary customer interaction into a decision that can threaten your entire run. Mistaking a human for an Aug damages your reputation and Security case file, while letting real Augs leave can push you toward a game-ending threshold. This Probably Stolen augs guide explains the warning signs, scanner rules, and consequences so you can make informed decisions at the counter.

The official Probably Stolen game overview establishes the premise: a rogue sentient chip has taken control of human hosts, and shopkeepers must recognize them among ordinary customers. The detailed numbers below come from community reports documented in the Wikily Augs reference, rather than an official mechanics manual. Treat those figures as community-documented behavior that may change between builds.

How to Identify Probably Stolen augs

Augs pose as customers shopping for medical goods or materials. Community reports describe both ordinary-looking customers who turn out to be Augs and dedicated Aug buyers impersonating Upper Level Citizens, Lower Level Citizens, or Thieves.

Official screenshot · Source: Steam store

The normal introduction happens on day 12, when the Mentor provides the Augmented Identification Guide. The first encounter reportedly follows on day 13, the second on day 18, and subsequent encounters occur every six to eight days. The Aug Menace starting perk changes that schedule.

Check appearance, movement, and dialogue together

The key to identifying Probably Stolen augs is avoiding reliance on a single visual tell. Some have unsettling faces, while others speak and look convincingly human.

Community reports put the special Aug appearance at roughly 25%–40% of dedicated Aug buyers, with early-game exceptions. Those buyers reportedly freeze 25% of the time and twitch only 3.75% of the time. Waiting for a twitch is therefore a poor screening strategy.

Shopping behavior also needs context. Buying medical supplies is not proof: the useful signal is the combination of goods, mannerisms, dialogue, and confirmation tools.

Why later Augs become harder to spot

Counterintuitively, tier 1 Augs are the more convincing conversational imitators. Tier 4 Augs are much more conspicuous, with mechanical responses that overemphasize being human.

The reported tier distribution shifts toward subtler Augs over time:

Early encounters can teach useful patterns, but they can also create bad habits. If you learn to recognize only obviously robotic speech, later visitors may slip through. Build a repeatable checking routine before the convincing tiers dominate.

How the Aug Scanner Works

The Aug Scanner provides a direct detection result rather than another ambiguous behavioral clue. According to community reports, it consumes 25 power per scan from its battery slot and permits one scan per customer.

Dr. Jackson reportedly has a 50% chance to stock it while Augs are active and you do not already own one. That is a stock chance, not a guarantee that the device will be available on your first visit.

For managing Probably Stolen augs, the scanner is especially valuable when a customer looks normal but other details do not add up. Check its battery before relying on it; owning the tool does not remove its power requirement.

A practical counter routine is:

1. Observe the visitor. Check facial expression, clothing, and movement.
2. Read their dialogue. Notice unnatural budget language or mechanical phrasing.
3. Use confirmation when uncertain. Scan rather than turning one suspicious detail into a lethal guess.
4. Resolve the encounter. Remember that allowing a confirmed Aug to leave affects presence.
5. Review the night log. It can reveal an Aug visit you missed.

Community reports also describe the Threaten interaction as always succeeding against Augs and failing against humans. That makes its outcome potentially useful for identification. Do not confuse this reported interaction rule with a guarantee that every frightened-looking customer is an Aug.

Shoot, Release, or Report: What Each Choice Does

Probably Stolen augs create an asymmetric decision: correctly identifying one can bring money and reputation, but shooting a human creates substantial penalties.

Reporting may sound like the cautious option. However, community reports say the Aug escapes before Security arrives, leaving you without a reward and still increasing Aug presence.

Rewards for a correct identification

The reported base reward is 100 Credits plus one Credit for each day since day 12, capped at 250 Credits. For example, the unmodified reward on day 30 would be 118 Credits.

A confirmed Aug kill also reportedly provides:

• +8 Security reputation
• +2 Revolution reputation
• +2 Black Market reputation
• +2 Lower Levels reputation
• An Incident Report slip

These are base values before applicable perk modifiers. The reputation benefit is broader than a simple Security payment, making a correct identification useful beyond its immediate cash return.

Penalties for shooting the wrong customer

The reported manslaughter amount added to your Security case file increases as the run progresses:

• Before day 25: 250
• Starting day 25: 500
• Starting day 50: 750

This is described as a case-file addition, not simply an immediate purchase-style charge. Reputation penalties are also severe: −15 Security, −15 Lower Levels, −10 Revolution, and −20 Black Market.

That imbalance is why a strange grin alone should not determine your decision. A scanner-backed identification is far more defensible than guessing for a modest bounty.

Two smaller trading details are worth remembering: community reports say goods sold to Augs are never returned, and an Aug discovering a counterfeit does not cause reputation loss. Neither changes the presence consequences of letting that customer leave.

Aug Presence, Difficulty, and the Augmented Ending

The larger danger from Probably Stolen augs is Aug presence, which reportedly starts at 15 on day 12. Killing an Aug lowers it; allowing one to leave alive raises it. Difficulty determines how quickly those decisions accumulate.

The community reference groups the easier settings under “Price and Mark” and uses shortened labels for Thin Margins and Red Ink.

Why repeated escapes are dangerous

On Red Ink, one Aug escaping adds 16 presence, while one kill removes only eight. It takes two successful kills to offset one escape, before considering any other encounters.

On Thin Margins, an escape adds 15 and a kill removes ten. A pattern of one escape followed by one kill still produces a net increase of five.

The reported ending check matters just as much as the threshold: a day that begins with presence at 100 or more triggers the Augmented ending on Thin Margins and Red Ink, or on any difficulty with Aug Menace. Do not assume you can wait until that morning to fix it.

Can you eliminate the threat permanently?

Community reports describe an all-clear condition from day 62 onward: if presence is zero, a Security Officer announces that the Aug threat has ended.

This does not apply with Aug Menace. Without that perk, keeping presence low supports an eventual resolution rather than merely delaying the next encounter.

Perks and a Reliable Aug Survival Strategy

Starting perks change the economics of Probably Stolen augs, and Aug Menace changes the entire timetable.

With Aug Menace, Aug content starts on day one and the first visitor reportedly arrives within two to four days. The normal day-12 preparation window disappears. The Credit bonus does not remove the risk: the threat cannot receive the standard permanent all-clear.

For a more reliable run:

• Prepare before the first encounter. Use the day-12 guide in a standard run, or prioritize readiness immediately with Aug Menace.
• Check Dr. Jackson for the scanner. Its stock chance means availability is not guaranteed.
• Keep scanner power available. A depleted device cannot help with a convincing visitor.
• Adapt as the run progresses. Normal speech becomes less reassuring as tier 1 Augs grow more common.
• Track escapes as well as kills. On harder settings, a single escape can undo more than one successful encounter.
• Do not treat reporting as containment. The reported outcome still raises presence.

The strongest approach is consistent identification, not aggressive guessing. Protecting faction reputation and preventing escapes are both important; neither goal is served by shooting ordinary customers.

FAQ: Probably Stolen augs

When do Augs first appear?

Community reports place the introduction on day 12, the first Aug on day 13, and the second on day 18. Later arrivals occur every six to eight days. Aug Menace moves the first encounter to roughly two to four days into the run.

What is the best way to identify Probably Stolen augs?

Combine appearance, movement, and dialogue checks, then use the Aug Scanner to resolve uncertainty. It costs 25 power per scan and allows one scan per customer. Visual clues alone are unreliable because some Augs look and speak normally.

Should you report an Aug instead of shooting it?

According to community reports, reporting does not contain the threat: the Aug leaves before Security arrives, you receive no reward, and presence increases. Confirm identification before choosing an irreversible response.

Can Aug presence end your game?

Yes. A day starting at 100 or more presence reportedly triggers the Augmented ending on Thin Margins and Red Ink. Aug Menace extends that failure condition to every difficulty and prevents the normal permanent all-clear.