Comparing Authentic vs. Fake Louis Vuitton

Is it Authentic orFake Louis Vuitton???
This guide willprovide helpful guidelines to distinguish authentic Louis Vuittons (from here on will be called "LV") from the overwhelming number of fake ones that are now being sold all over the world. I'm going to focus more on the classic monograms since they seem to be the easy targets of counterfeiters.
If you'veeverhad the opportunity to purchase an authentic LV from their boutique or Eluxury, then you already know if a bag/wallet is fake or not by smelling it. Authentic LVs havean unmistakable scent that only genuine bags carry. It's hard to describe, but the best way for me to describe it is that it smells like a mixture of brand new$ bills and high quality leather and it's a subtle scent. Key word is "subtle." Unless you put your whole face inside the bag, you won't be able to smell it. On the other hand, fake LVs have a stronger smell...like over-oxidixed leather. It seems that they tried so hard to "treat" their leathers so that it would change its color to a lovely patina that it created this odor to emit from the bag. I've had the misfortune of being a victim of "bait and switch" here on okay where the seller advertised photos of an authentic LV Tulum PM, but when she sent me the bag, the scent alone raised red flags to me. Being sealed inside a plastic bag only made the smell worse.
If you have never owned an authentic LV before, then visual flags should help you. First, pay attention to the color of the monograms, the glue that seals the leather, the exterior canvas