In Probably Stolen: Cyberpunk Shopkeeper Sim, Station Security can walk into your store at random and check for Contraband. What they find, what they charge and whether you leave in cuffs all follow fixed rules.
Quick answer: Each stolen item in unhidden, unlocked storage is found at a chance equal to its heat %, and the fine is the total value found. At 95 evidence, crimes under 300 credits mean a fine, 300 to 1,499 mean arrest, and 1,500 or more mean execution.
| Item base value (credits) | Starting heat |
|---|---|
| Up to 17 | 0% |
| Up to 49 | 25% |
| Up to 84 | 50% |
| Up to 139 | 75% |
| 140 or more | 100% |
| Crime value | Evidence gained per night |
|---|---|
| 100+ | +2 |
| 300+ | +6 |
| 850+ | +9 |
| 1,200+ | +12 |
| 1,500+ | +20 |
| 2,500+ | +33 |
| Crime value at 95 evidence | Outcome | Ending |
|---|---|---|
| Under 300 credits | Fine (arrest if you cannot pay) | — |
| 300 to 1,499 | Arrest | Arrested |
| 1,500 or more | Execution | Executed |
How Security inspections work
The game spells out the basics in its Mentor’s Note for Security Inspection:
“Station Security will conduct random inspections for Contraband. Your Reputation with Security will affect the severity of your punishment when Contraband is found. Events can affect how often the Store is inspected. Additionally, different Officers will conduct inspections differently. Some may be open to a bribe; others may not search every container.”
Inspections have no set timetable; they happen at random. Trafficking 1,000 credits or more of goods brings more inspections.
Officers leave concealed items, locked storage and anything behind a lock unchecked. They can inspect everything else, with each stolen item’s Heat % setting its chance of being discovered. A luck roll may cause the officer to miss all of it.
Here is how an inspection plays out at the counter. A Security Inspector steps up to the window and announces “This is a routine security inspection.”
Next comes “Open your cargo hold and step aside.” With this inspector, the only reply offered was [Accept Inspection.]
If the search turns up nothing illegal, the inspector says “You are all clear.” and the notice “Your Store Gained Reputation With The Security” appears, so a clean store pays off with Security reputation.
If the inspector finds contraband, the line changes to “What is this?” and the illegal goods are seized. Serious finds can end the run on the spot with the Arrested ending, covered in our Probably Stolen endings guide.
The Display Case Mentor’s Note is blunt: “Do not keep Contraband inside the Display Case or you will be arrested.”
If you pick the Fence specialization, you start with a Smuggler’s Bay, described as “a hidden storage compartment in your store to avoid the prying of the station’s security”.
Bribe cost formula
The Shady Security Inspector is the sole officer who will take a bribe. The amount varies with the day and your Security reputation:
Bribe = 100 + (2 x day number) - (2 x Security reputation)
Minimum 40 credits, maximum 400 credits- Day 10 with 0 Security reputation: 100 + 20 – 0 = 120 credits.
- Day 30 with 50 Security reputation: 100 + 60 – 100 = 60 credits.
Bribe costs rise over time but decrease as your Security reputation improves. A negative reputation makes the price jump quickly, up to a maximum of 400 credits. Once your bribe payments reach 500 credits or more, the Reliable Inspector appears.
How fines are calculated
If an officer discovers illegal goods, the fine equals the combined value of all illegal items discovered. Items that go unnoticed or aren’t searched add nothing to the fine.
False reports cost money too. On Day 1, Officer Lun of the Security Department introduces the Wanted list and the alarm button under the counter, with the lines “Notify us with your alarm”, “Only report them if you’re sure it’s them” and “You will be fined if you make false report”. A false report costs 8 Security reputation, plus 50 credits if you hold at least 100. A correct report gives +5 Security reputation.
Stolen item heat and discounts
Stolen goods show in your inventory as Stolen(N% Heat). The Mentor’s Note for Stolen Items reads: “It is illegal to trade in [Stolen] items. Each stolen item has Heat value, the higher the Heat, the more likely Security will recognize it on inspection. Sellers will offer a discount based on the Heat value. Heat slowly decreases over time.”
Starting heat depends on base value, per the first table above. Heat drops by 18 every night. Contraband cools more slowly.
| Contraband tier | Heat lost per night | Sale markup |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 16 | +35% |
| Mid | 14 | +70% |
| High | 12 | +100% |
| Critical | 10 | +150% |
Sellers price heat in with a Five Finger Discount when you buy stolen goods.
| Item heat | Five Finger Discount |
|---|---|
| Up to 25% | 10% off |
| Up to 50% | 15% off |
| Up to 75% | 20% off |
| Above 75% | 25% off |
The Security case: evidence, arrest and execution
Inspections are only half of it. Every crime adds to a case value that Security builds against you over time, and each night that value feeds the evidence meter per the second table above.
While evidence sits under 80, the crime value fades by 20 each night. Once evidence reaches 95, an officer comes to your store, and the crime value at that point decides the outcome: a fine under 300 credits (arrest if you cannot pay it), arrest from 300 to 1,499 with the “Arrested” ending, or execution at 1,500 or more with the “Executed” ending. All 14 endings are in our Probably Stolen endings guide.
Security reputation has its own floor. At -100 it triggers By Any Means: “Security will immediately arrest and jail you, regardless of any evidence they have (or don’t have).” That run ends with “Framed”.
Starting perks that change your odds
| Perk | Effect |
|---|---|
 Intimidating (-2 Perk Point) | Evidence produced by crimes is reduced by 33%. |
 Model Citizen | +30 Security reputation |
 Convict | -30 Security reputation |
Because bribes shrink as Security reputation rises, Model Citizen also makes the Shady Security Inspector cheaper, while Convict makes every bribe bigger.
How to stay safe from Station Security
- Never put Contraband in the Display Case.
- Keep stolen goods and Contraband in hidden or locked storage, which officers do not search.
- Hold stolen items for a few nights before selling; heat drops 18 a night.
- Report Wanted list customers only when you are sure, for +5 Security reputation each.
- Keep your crime value small so it fades each night before evidence reaches 80.
Low heat, hidden storage and a healthy Security reputation keep fines small and bribes cheap. A crime value that stays under 300 credits means even a full evidence meter ends in a fine rather than jail.
