Not at all... as stated, evil will always be there but the current way financial transactions are regulated, it makes the job of a would be extortioner or kidnapper difficult. Bitcoin opens the door to constant terrorizing of good honest people.
For example, these letters are threats, obviously. But let's pretend that they send 1000 letters, are paid 0 and then kill 5 people. Then send out another 1000. Those next 1000 people are put in a tough situation that is allowed because of bitcoin.
Topic: Why (IMO) Bitcoin will never work. Debunk me please. - page 2. (Read 2087 times)
"Be sure to type all 34 characters of that Bitcoin address in EXACTLY. "
Maybe it's a joke?
Maybe it's a joke?
So you are saying extortion wasn't possible until 2009?
You are also suggesting the hardest part of kidnapping and murder is money transfers. And with that so easy people are bound to get on with the easy part of kidnapping and murdering. Debunked enough?
You are also suggesting the hardest part of kidnapping and murder is money transfers. And with that so easy people are bound to get on with the easy part of kidnapping and murdering. Debunked enough?
A quick article that says it all then a short opinion... your opinion in comments... please.
Here is an article from InsideBitcoins
NEW YORK— More than a dozen people in Connecticut have received anonymous letters threatening to kill family members unless a bitcoin ransom is paid. Local law enforcement authorities in Fairfield County and the FBI are investigating the 14 threats, delivered to residents’ homes in letters postmarked from Austin, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida.
The letters detail how to open an account and issue a $2,000 bitcoin payment before a Feb. 13th deadline:
“[Recipient] you do not know who we are, but we have been tracking you and your loved ones for a while now. We know your schedules. We know where you all live and spend your time. We also know how to kill any one of you without being caught. Now [recipient], don’t panic. This isn’t personal. You did nothing to deserve this. You were just one of a handful of families unfortunate enough to draw our attention.
However, nobody has to die. Allow us to explain. You have until 12:00 PM on February 13, 2015 to pay us $2,000. If you do not comply with that simple demand, the following will happen: we will kill you, [recipient], or someone else to whom you are close. Or you can simply pay us the $2,000. To make the payment do the following.
1. Open an account at any online Bitcoin exchange, such as Bitstamp.net or Coinbase.com
2. Deposit $2,000 into that account. Do not wait until the last minute to do this. It will likely take you about a week to open an account, get it verified, and process the transaction.
3. Use the entire $2,000, minus whatever small fee the exchange charges, to purchase Bitcoins on the exchange. If you are unsure about the process of buying Bitcoins, Google it.
4. Withdrawal (sic) all Bitcoin you purchased to the following Bitcoin address: 19vcdWcV4J8bhH7j3igHZ5q4WGT2UX5V2S
5. Be sure to type all 34 characters of that Bitcoin address in EXACTLY. It is case sensitive. The first character is a number “one”, NOT a lowercase “L”.
6. You are finished. Breath (sic) easy, and live your life in peace knowing you will never have to deal with us again.”
The letters also include a “Note to Law Enforcement” explaining that police will never be able to catch or identify the culprits. So far, residents in Farmington, Ridgefield and Redding, Connecticut have received the threatening mail, addressed to one resident at each address, but mentioning the names of others living in the homes.
For this reason and this reason alone, bitcoin can never become mainstream or allowed to go on much further without Government intervention. There are reasons why we can't have anonymous financial transactions and this is exactly why not. If we lived in a truly honest society with no evil intent (impossible) then possibly the idea behind bitcoin would work. But when we think about the real life implications of anonymous transactions, then we should all realize now is the time to get out. It cannot ever become what we all hoped because the scammers of the world will always be there and we cannot, as a society, allow them to have a tool in which to terrorize, threaten, extort and steak from hard working people who are targeted simply because of their use of bitcoin.
Imagine your child is kidnapped in a world with and then without bitcoin.
Without: In order to ask for and recover a ransom... there needs to be a physical drop off, or trackable transaction which can allow for the recovery of the child or the funds. Many possible situations must be contemplated by the criminals including... stings, tracking embedded cash, set-ups, etc. etc. Making the job of the criminals difficult.
With: Simply kidnap who you want, demand bitcoin. Kill those who do not comply, collect from those who do.
So, guys... can bitcoin be allowed to continue or should we cut our losses?
Here is an article from InsideBitcoins
NEW YORK— More than a dozen people in Connecticut have received anonymous letters threatening to kill family members unless a bitcoin ransom is paid. Local law enforcement authorities in Fairfield County and the FBI are investigating the 14 threats, delivered to residents’ homes in letters postmarked from Austin, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida.
The letters detail how to open an account and issue a $2,000 bitcoin payment before a Feb. 13th deadline:
“[Recipient] you do not know who we are, but we have been tracking you and your loved ones for a while now. We know your schedules. We know where you all live and spend your time. We also know how to kill any one of you without being caught. Now [recipient], don’t panic. This isn’t personal. You did nothing to deserve this. You were just one of a handful of families unfortunate enough to draw our attention.
However, nobody has to die. Allow us to explain. You have until 12:00 PM on February 13, 2015 to pay us $2,000. If you do not comply with that simple demand, the following will happen: we will kill you, [recipient], or someone else to whom you are close. Or you can simply pay us the $2,000. To make the payment do the following.
1. Open an account at any online Bitcoin exchange, such as Bitstamp.net or Coinbase.com
2. Deposit $2,000 into that account. Do not wait until the last minute to do this. It will likely take you about a week to open an account, get it verified, and process the transaction.
3. Use the entire $2,000, minus whatever small fee the exchange charges, to purchase Bitcoins on the exchange. If you are unsure about the process of buying Bitcoins, Google it.
4. Withdrawal (sic) all Bitcoin you purchased to the following Bitcoin address: 19vcdWcV4J8bhH7j3igHZ5q4WGT2UX5V2S
5. Be sure to type all 34 characters of that Bitcoin address in EXACTLY. It is case sensitive. The first character is a number “one”, NOT a lowercase “L”.
6. You are finished. Breath (sic) easy, and live your life in peace knowing you will never have to deal with us again.”
The letters also include a “Note to Law Enforcement” explaining that police will never be able to catch or identify the culprits. So far, residents in Farmington, Ridgefield and Redding, Connecticut have received the threatening mail, addressed to one resident at each address, but mentioning the names of others living in the homes.
For this reason and this reason alone, bitcoin can never become mainstream or allowed to go on much further without Government intervention. There are reasons why we can't have anonymous financial transactions and this is exactly why not. If we lived in a truly honest society with no evil intent (impossible) then possibly the idea behind bitcoin would work. But when we think about the real life implications of anonymous transactions, then we should all realize now is the time to get out. It cannot ever become what we all hoped because the scammers of the world will always be there and we cannot, as a society, allow them to have a tool in which to terrorize, threaten, extort and steak from hard working people who are targeted simply because of their use of bitcoin.
Imagine your child is kidnapped in a world with and then without bitcoin.
Without: In order to ask for and recover a ransom... there needs to be a physical drop off, or trackable transaction which can allow for the recovery of the child or the funds. Many possible situations must be contemplated by the criminals including... stings, tracking embedded cash, set-ups, etc. etc. Making the job of the criminals difficult.
With: Simply kidnap who you want, demand bitcoin. Kill those who do not comply, collect from those who do.
So, guys... can bitcoin be allowed to continue or should we cut our losses?
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