This looks quite legit to be a T here. He knows it unlikely there's an ace out there given the action.

I agree usually an ace would bet flop multi-way. But I think I prefer a fold on river.

The only other thing I can think of is them turning 88 or 99 into a bluff as they are counterfeited, but you could also have a T I guess so they may not want to.

If you folded I think it's well played.

Once flop and turn is checked around to villain betting Tx for protection is normal, and his bet size looks like he's serious too. One of those spots where we don't beat anything he's repping and he's unlikely to be bluffing frequently enough to make a profitable call. He may also be taking a pot control line with some Axs no kicker.