One more trick from Bagamas

[rudechuck]

Most people in the USA have never seen a real CC, let alone, know how to spot fakes.

Many American tourists (friends of mine included) who may rarely ever smoke cigars will buy Cuban cigars while on vacation simply because they are "the best" or because it is "forbidden." However, since they are not really into cigars, they have no idea what a huge business counterfeiting is. It never even occurs to them that the guy in the liquor store or walking on the beach is selling fakes.

And God forbid you try and tell them they were hosed. I got into a heated discussion with a friend about his purchase in Mazatlan. He couldn't understand why they would sell fakes in a country where it's not illegal to buy them. Rather than allow the situation to escalate, I finally told him, "Well if you enjoyed them, they were probably real." His reply was, "I don't get what the big deal is anyway. They taste the same as the Dominicans."

But on the bright side, with the novelty smokers buying mostly fakes, they at least are leaving the real product for those of us who can appreciate it.