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Topic: More bad publicity - pay us a million in btc or we spread Ebola (Read 5268 times)

member
Activity: 67
Merit: 10
There is no such thing as bad publicity. Bad publicity is still a publicity.
legendary
Activity: 2618
Merit: 1105
No such thing as bad publicity but..

a/ its fake
b/ just some hype to label bitcoin as useless in the media's eyes again Undecided (like with silk road)
member
Activity: 70
Merit: 10
★Bitin.io★ - Instant Exchange
legendary
Activity: 2436
Merit: 1561

peoples mind set is actually changing right now, alot of people dont think of bitcoin as a scam currency, but as "another currency".. so when news talks about bitcoin being used, the mindset is not "oh crap bitcoin is bad" but more like "oh the scammers dont want to use a credit card, cash or paypal"

there was yet another use of bitcoin on the TV show 'the goodwife' this year where the blackmailer tool that encrypts hard drives was the centre of attention and the payment method was bitcoin.. the emphasis was on the scam not bitcoin.  bitcoin was just a side mention, treated as just a useful payment method.. there was no chatter about bitcoin being bad, no chatter about bitcoin being hard to purchase or even any chatter about risks of bitcoin.. the characters simply paid the amount and then argued for half the episode about the scammers

It could go both ways. Some people will get the message:

"If the blackmailers are willing to risk jail, or even infect and kill a bunch of people just to get bitcoins - the bitcoin must be worthwhile"

But there's probably other group, those who only watch the headlines, and they may get something like:

"ebola=bitcoin=panic=terrorism"


Personally I don't see a problem with that sort of publicity. As long as media don't twist the story into "terrorists demand ebola, or they'll release bitcoin" - it's all good.
vip
Activity: 1428
Merit: 1145
This is called extortion inoculation. BS enough times and nobody will pay BTC to any extortionist.

Actually, I see it as a business model: Pretend to be an extortionist and get paid via BTC to cease whatever via paying yourself, then pretend to purchase miners from BFL and have the fiat in your bank within two days via BitPay. Fuckin' genius, if you ask me.

LOL. So who wants to send a massive TX to themself and bc.i tag it "ebola ransom payment"?

Sonny Vleisides comes to mind.
legendary
Activity: 3038
Merit: 1032
RIP Mommy
This is called extortion inoculation. BS enough times and nobody will pay BTC to any extortionist.

Actually, I see it as a business model: Pretend to be an extortionist and get paid via BTC to cease whatever via paying yourself, then pretend to purchase miners from BFL and have the fiat in your bank within two days via BitPay. Fuckin' genius, if you ask me.

LOL. So who wants to send a massive TX to themself and bc.i tag it "ebola ransom payment"?
newbie
Activity: 28
Merit: 0
This is ridiculous.... Angry
legendary
Activity: 1806
Merit: 1090
Learning the troll avoidance button :)
This is called extortion inoculation. BS enough times and nobody will pay BTC to any extortionist.

That's a weird form of extortion if there is one
Viral warfare ransom
sr. member
Activity: 406
Merit: 250
It doesn't matter what currency they use, they are blackmailers. They just think that this would be a safe way to get paid and run away when in reality those btc would be tagged and no one would want to touch them again.
legendary
Activity: 882
Merit: 1024
Doubt this will be the last time people try to extort bitcoins outta people like this.

it seems the time is come for  ebola coin !  Cheesy

Ugh, don't give the alt coin devs any ideas  Grin.

There has already been multiple threads about it, there was a Scrypt Ebolacoin and a few joke threads.

Here is an article about donations for Bitcoin to Sierra Leone to help fund aid workers http://www.coindesk.com/sierra-leone-group-diverts-bitcoin-campaign-fight-ebola/

There are other options as well, the Bitcoin miners could choose to exclude those transactions from the Blockchain as well.
member
Activity: 66
Merit: 10
Doubt this will be the last time people try to extort bitcoins outta people like this.

it seems the time is come for  ebola coin !  Cheesy

Ugh, don't give the alt coin devs any ideas  Grin.
hero member
Activity: 672
Merit: 500
it seems the time is come for  ebola coin !  Cheesy
vip
Activity: 1428
Merit: 1145
This is called extortion inoculation. BS enough times and nobody will pay BTC to any extortionist.

Actually, I see it as a business model: Pretend to be an extortionist and get paid via BTC to cease whatever via paying yourself, then pretend to purchase miners from BFL and have the fiat in your bank within two days via BitPay. Fuckin' genius, if you ask me.
donator
Activity: 1736
Merit: 1014
Let's talk governance, lipstick, and pigs.
Not necessarily bad...just a misconception that fools will not believe into...research is key.

Yeah.. But bad publicity or not, its still publicity. Still a + for bitcoin.
I would disagree with your mindset. If something is being used for illicit purposes then it will not only cause people to want to disassociate with it, but it will also attract regulatory attention.

I would not however say that asking for a randsome in bitcoin to be negative for bitcoin. I would say the reason they are asking for this is to avoid direct contact with law enforcement when they go to collect the randsom (instead of having to physically pick up cash).
They need to trace the source of these threats and take them seriously. It doesn't matter if they are asking for money or a prisoner release, you cannot negotiate with terrorists.
AGD
legendary
Activity: 2070
Merit: 1164
Keeper of the Private Key
If they took the ransom in FIAT, would it also be bad news for FIAT?
full member
Activity: 210
Merit: 100
Not necessarily bad...just a misconception that fools will not believe into...research is key.

Yeah.. But bad publicity or not, its still publicity. Still a + for bitcoin.
I would disagree with your mindset. If something is being used for illicit purposes then it will not only cause people to want to disassociate with it, but it will also attract regulatory attention.

I would not however say that asking for a randsome in bitcoin to be negative for bitcoin. I would say the reason they are asking for this is to avoid direct contact with law enforcement when they go to collect the randsom (instead of having to physically pick up cash).
legendary
Activity: 882
Merit: 1024
Not cool, why do people feel the need to spread hate?
legendary
Activity: 4410
Merit: 4788
if those fkn idiots would demand dollars, would this be bad publicity for the dollar?

tens of thousands of years of violence and genocide and war crimes and all this sheit were managed without bitcoin.



peoples mind set is actually changing right now, alot of people dont think of bitcoin as a scam currency, but as "another currency".. so when news talks about bitcoin being used, the mindset is not "oh crap bitcoin is bad" but more like "oh the scammers dont want to use a credit card, cash or paypal"

there was yet another use of bitcoin on the TV show 'the goodwife' this year where the blackmailer tool that encrypts hard drives was the centre of attention and the payment method was bitcoin.. the emphasis was on the scam not bitcoin.  bitcoin was just a side mention, treated as just a useful payment method.. there was no chatter about bitcoin being bad, no chatter about bitcoin being hard to purchase or even any chatter about risks of bitcoin.. the characters simply paid the amount and then argued for half the episode about the scammers
newbie
Activity: 42
Merit: 0
Not necessarily bad...just a misconception that fools will not believe into...research is key.

Yeah.. But bad publicity or not, its still publicity. Still a + for bitcoin.
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