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Topic: 2012-09-07 forbes.com - BitInstant To Romney Camp: 'We'll Convert $1,000,000 USD (Read 2987 times)

hero member
Activity: 714
Merit: 502
Blackmailers need to provide more public proof they have the tax returns if they want one million from Flynt.

I wonder how they could prove that even if they had it? surely any thing shown to flynt would have to be verified to be true by Romney?

Even some "plausible"-looking excerpts would be better proof than what they've given so far ("encrypted copies" of the supposed documents, with no key -- AKA random data.)  This is why I think this is fake; if they seriously expect anything close to $1mill they've got to prove they really have anything to sell/withhold.

Well yeah even if it is fake they've got the opportunity to do a million dollar forgery, and they've hardly got to repaint the Mona Lisa to convince an ageing porn king it's the real deal.

I'm in the fortunate position that burglars have sold me some items from a job at Hefners house including a document penned in his own handwriting and signed claiming Flynt's "a d***ey r****g s**t ***ing ***t" (obviously that's the crypted version). I'm wondering how much I can sell it via paste bin for?
sr. member
Activity: 448
Merit: 254
Blackmailers need to provide more public proof they have the tax returns if they want one million from Flynt.

I wonder how they could prove that even if they had it? surely any thing shown to flynt would have to be verified to be true by Romney?

Even some "plausible"-looking excerpts would be better proof than what they've given so far ("encrypted copies" of the supposed documents, with no key -- AKA random data.)  This is why I think this is fake; if they seriously expect anything close to $1mill they've got to prove they really have anything to sell/withhold.
donator
Activity: 980
Merit: 1004
felonious vagrancy, personified
http://www.mediaite.com/online/larry-flynt-is-offering-one-million-dollars-for-details-of-romneys-tax-returns/  looks like Larry Flynt wants some attention  Cheesy

Maybe he will accept bitcoin for hustler mags

Thank goodness, this story (which is verifiable) will probably counteract/drown-out the pastebin story.  At least the journalists will see that the Flynt claim is easily verifiable and if it remains standing the pastebin thing has to be a hoax.
hero member
Activity: 714
Merit: 502
Blackmailers need to provide more public proof they have the tax returns if they want one million from Flynt.

I wonder how they could prove that even if they had it? surely any thing shown to flynt would have to be verified to be true by Romney?
legendary
Activity: 1078
Merit: 1000
Charlie 'Van Bitcoin' Shrem
Are you going to make the same offer open to Larry Flynt?

I may.
hero member
Activity: 714
Merit: 502
Are you going to make the same offer open to Larry Flynt?
hero member
Activity: 686
Merit: 500
Wat
legendary
Activity: 1008
Merit: 1023
Democracy is the original 51% attack
I'm surprised by this. It seems like a truly awful decision on their part. Publicity for bitcoin is good, but what kind of introduction is this? And what if Romney doesn't find it so funny? BitInstant is striving to add legitimacy to bitcoin and then does this... I guess I just don't get it.

The hacking/extortion already happened (and definitely was not us, to make that perfectly clear)... we're just using the event as a fun way to reach out to our Dear Leaders and help them. It's our Patriotic Duty. And no, I doubt Romney thinks it's funny  Grin


If Romney actually paid any sort of ransom, he certainly wouldn't care about any of the fees involved in converting to BTC. He'd get his guys to take care of it discretely, then deny everything and say he never paid anyone and doesn't negotiate with blackmailers, blah blah blah.

He'd never pay the ransom, but you're correct if he did the fees are irrelevant. We're not expecting him to call us up, but the offer stands!


I guess it all comes down to how likely it is these docs were even stolen and I doubt they were. But yeah, if anyone is going to pay a ransom, it isn't going to be through BitInstant, so just bad publicity; sorry man, I like your service and what you generally do to bring legitimacy to the community, but this one just seemed like a bad idea.

How is lending a helping hand to our potential next Emperor President undermining legitimacy? If anything, it further demonstrations both our national pride and our impeccable customer service.
legendary
Activity: 1008
Merit: 1023
Democracy is the original 51% attack
The publicity stunt is funny, but how does BitInstant know that it won't attract unwanted heat from the Secret Service?  Shocked

Heat is fine, we haven't done anything wrong. Who knows, maybe it'll open some good networking opportunities... ? Smiley
donator
Activity: 1731
Merit: 1008
The term of the deal is incomplete, it ask for 1m$ worth of BTC at the time the last BTC is sent.
No mention of MtGox as a reference.
hero member
Activity: 523
Merit: 500
The Bitinstant guys are helping Romney by offering this.  I am sure they will expect a seat in his administration for this if he wins.

Aren't you involved in BitInstant?

The Bitinstant guys are helping Romney by offering this.  I am sure they will expect a seat in his administration for this if he wins.
It is a very nice gesture, unless the entire thing turned out to be a hoax.  If true, it's a godsend to them. 

But how bad does it sound, to introduce bitcoin to them for most likely the first time, and they have to shell out $1M to pay off a ransom, and a bitcoin company is offering to waive the fee for converting the ransom money?  lmao

Exactly. It's ridiculous and shady as hell. I don't know why they're so desperate for attention that they'd want to be involved in issues of national security and terrorism.

So you are saying that you would rather had other chinese or russian hackers sell the info to Russians. So the Russians could use it to put pressure on your maybe President in closed door meetings?

That is what I call a weakness and my guess is that many politicians all over the world do have them and thats why they are supported, by those who knows shit about them. So they can get secret favours.
If these hackers really have something, they are giving you a chance to get it before it can be used to cause damage. Its like disarming a ticking bomb.




 
legendary
Activity: 1400
Merit: 1005
Bitinstant didn't do this for Romney - they did it for all the tens of thousands of people who are now researching Bitcoins after reading the article about the attempted extortion, and are wondering how to easily acquire Bitcoins for themselves.  Read the latter portion of Erik's quote:

Quote
Not only that, we’ll also show you how to safely use a Bitcoin wallet, back up and encrypt it, and make payments. We’ll even set you up with a Bitcoin app on your iPhone! You’ll be a Bitcoin expert in no time!

He makes the business sound incredibly helpful to newbies.  Which is exactly who will be reading the article, and exactly who will end up purchasing Bitcoins through Bitinstant because of it.  Even though he is addressing Romney in the quote, he is really addressing all of the people who have just heard about Bitcoin for the first time.

Oh, and does everyone realize that both presidential candidates now know full well what Bitcoin is?  Cheesy

*tinfoil hat time*
The tax documents are fakes created by Romney's campaign that don't show any "funny stuff".  The blackmail was created by Romney's campaign.  In the event that the $$$ amount is not met (which is what is expected by Romney's campaign), the fake tax documents will be released.  Since it is not an official governmental release, no one can verify the legitimacy of them, but most people will believe them to be legitimate anyhow.  It's a huge win for Romney.
sr. member
Activity: 323
Merit: 250
Exactly. It's ridiculous and shady as hell. I don't know why they're so desperate for attention that they'd want to be involved in issues of national security and terrorism.

National security and terrorism? It's just simple blackmail about some tax returns. Did I miss the part with the nuclear missles and bus bombs?
legendary
Activity: 1288
Merit: 1080
The Bitinstant guys are helping Romney by offering this.

Well, to tell the truth they are helping the blackmailer just as well.
legendary
Activity: 1078
Merit: 1000
Charlie 'Van Bitcoin' Shrem
The Bitinstant guys are helping Romney by offering this.  I am sure they will expect a seat in his administration for this if he wins.

Aren't you involved in BitInstant?
Director of marketing, AFAIK.

No, thats Eriks position. Roger consults with us on business developement.

The Bitinstant guys are helping Romney by offering this.  I am sure they will expect a seat in his administration for this if he wins.

Aren't you involved in BitInstant?

The Bitinstant guys are helping Romney by offering this.  I am sure they will expect a seat in his administration for this if he wins.
It is a very nice gesture, unless the entire thing turned out to be a hoax.  If true, it's a godsend to them. 

But how bad does it sound, to introduce bitcoin to them for most likely the first time, and they have to shell out $1M to pay off a ransom, and a bitcoin company is offering to waive the fee for converting the ransom money?  lmao

Exactly. It's ridiculous and shady as hell. I don't know why they're so desperate for attention that they'd want to be involved in issues of national security and terrorism.

^ I can't say Im surprised by this comment. I think thats the bigger issue here.
legendary
Activity: 2184
Merit: 1056
Affordable Physical Bitcoins - Denarium.com
If it's hoax, it is perfectly possible that the author actually owns more than 1M$ in bitcoins.  Then, he could publish a bitcoin address and make a transaction to himself, pretending it was from Romney.  Couldn't he?

This is a very interesting point. Haven't thought of that. It would be absolutely epic if they actually did that.
legendary
Activity: 1288
Merit: 1080
I think the ransom thing is a fake.  I guess we'll see.  Either way, publicity for Bitcoin!

I'm not even sure we can ever be sure of it, unless Romney publicly admits having paid, or the ransom is not paid and the tax return forms are released.

If it's hoax, it is perfectly possible that the author actually owns more than 1M$ in bitcoins.  Then, he could publish a bitcoin address and make a transaction to himself, pretending it was from Romney.  Couldn't he?
hero member
Activity: 588
Merit: 500
Hero VIP ultra official trusted super staff puppet
....
You've just got a sore ass because you didn't think of it first. They're performing a public service offering to help out a US presidential candidate through a trying situation, anyone can see that.

Next move, a bitcoin funded project to jump the grand canyon on a rocket powered skateboard Smiley

Yeah. Really helping the "Bitcoiners are not retarded economically and socially ignorant aspergers suffering tools" argument.
legendary
Activity: 1246
Merit: 1077
The Bitinstant guys are helping Romney by offering this.  I am sure they will expect a seat in his administration for this if he wins.

Aren't you involved in BitInstant?
Director of marketing, AFAIK.
hero member
Activity: 588
Merit: 500
Hero VIP ultra official trusted super staff puppet
The Bitinstant guys are helping Romney by offering this.  I am sure they will expect a seat in his administration for this if he wins.

Aren't you involved in BitInstant?

The Bitinstant guys are helping Romney by offering this.  I am sure they will expect a seat in his administration for this if he wins.
It is a very nice gesture, unless the entire thing turned out to be a hoax.  If true, it's a godsend to them. 

But how bad does it sound, to introduce bitcoin to them for most likely the first time, and they have to shell out $1M to pay off a ransom, and a bitcoin company is offering to waive the fee for converting the ransom money?  lmao

Exactly. It's ridiculous and shady as hell. I don't know why they're so desperate for attention that they'd want to be involved in issues of national security and terrorism.
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