But that's the rub: FTDI doesn't have any good process to identify fake chips, other than "install it in your board and wait and see". And if you've tried ordering from FTDI themselves, they routinely have shortages and backlogs going from 3-6 months out. Meaning you lean on reputable places like Mouser or Digikey.

And you also glossed over "FTDI compatible" chips. They too exist, and do not claim to be a legit FTDI (the markings on the case are what make a counterfeit, not the underlying silicon). Yet the FTDI driver disables them all, in one way or another.

You assume I'm talking purely about the hobbyist market: anyone who pays for a usb FTDI adapter at $1.50 should know it's likely a counterfeit.