Counterfeiting gang
From Plastic Tub
The venerable art of counterfeiting was a subject of endless fascination for Stimes Addisson, whose modest yet thorough collection of coins included a large number of slugs, tokens, jetons and fake currency. His prize possession was an 1883 "V" nickel that had been dipped in gold so that it could be passed off as a five dollar gold piece, a practice not uncommon in the Western territories before the inclusion of the word "cents" on the coin to combat this very problem. It was worth a considerable ammount of money and though he received numerous lucrative offers, such was Stimes' love for the coin that he never gave it up, even in his most financially-troubled hours.
Although counterfeiters operate in almost every area where money is literally to be made (i.e. currency, CD's, designer watches and handbags, etc.) it is the realm of ideas and information that concerns us here.
Counterfeit information is most regularly known as Disinformation, and its use forms a regular part of psy-ops and political campaigns. When used to discredit individuals or groups, counterfeit information is called a slander operation.
Perhaps the most notorious counterfeiting gang in the AA milieu were the Unseen Hand. These blackguards were Gnomic underlings whose primary duty was the dissemination of disinformation to further Pooban ideals. The League rewarded their subalterns with generous financial arrangements and furthered many a political career. Although many denizens of the underworld dabble in monetary counterfeiting, the Unseen Hand were a secret group of intellectual dissidents. They found refuge in Third World countries and many of the authors of the International Fund for Social Relief were in fact Unseen Hand agents. Posing as an NGO provided them with the perfect cover and they concluded many an operation from within the deceptively lily-white walls of this sanctuary.
The "Hand" counterfeited the acts of rival gangs. As such they were one of the most brilliant group in existence. They nicknamed themselves Framers and brought several men and women to ruin through slander, frame-jobs, incriminating photos and blackmail.
Although the original Gang disbanded long ago, many of their stalwarts still carry on the disinfo game. The name has become synonymous with the kind of free-lance skullduggery used to infiltrate Choco Cults. Many Conspiratorialists agree that the unusual Ritual Murder of Ryan O'Donnely may somehow involve the "Hand." Some scholars go as far as proposing the theory that the Gang and the Gnomes colluded in this gruesome murder to send a message to their rivals, most notably The League of Men with Fancy Gloves. By demonstrating that they were willing to kill one of their own in order to frame the Gloves and further their Pooban agenda, the gang hoped to strike terror in even their coolest adversaries.
