The tip off is always when the insult is too much like they want the media attention.
"You're in MAGA country!" - Jussie Smollet.
For me it was the angle of the writing. It was obviously written while attached to the cup. An employee would have written before it was on the cup and the writing would have been straight across the receipt.
I did too, the unusual g’s made me questions the story of the cop.