Fences

Fencing activity can be seen in various locations with or without gang activity.

Individual Fences

Without gang activity, fencing is individual, disorganized as expected, with characters frequenting large public places such as train stations and stadiums, where there are lots of customers and easy escape routes. Individuals fence smaller items legitimately, and may try to scam fencing of larger items not currently in their possession. Individual fences are rarely prosecuted because it's so hard to catch this activity, but recipients of counterfeit services often mete out their own justice on repeated purveyors of fake goods.

Gang Fences

Gang fencing is a large, organized effort bringing in all sorts of goods from counterfeit media and trinkets all the way up to drugs, big ticket items, political favors/influence and counterfeit money. For a price, anything can be had at a gang fence, but the penalty will be severe, potentially as severe as if the buyer were in the gang itself.

A gang fence a physical location to warehouse the fenced goods, but rarely would it exist as a standalone operation. Typically you'd expect to see a gang fence attached as a hidden extension to a legitimate place of business.

Business is rarely done directly at the gang fence warehouse location, so individual fences may be fronting for the gang fence. It is extremely difficult to tell when you are purchasing something from a real gang fence, or when an individual is merely trying to scam you for the money and doesn't actually have the property. Also, purchased big ticket items may be trackable by police as part of ongoing sting operations to bust up gang fences, hence the severe penalty -- if you don't tell the police once they catch you, then you'll go to jail; if you do tell them, then in/after jail the gang will be after you.