Pandemic Increase and No Fuel

[ryoder 1,381]

1 minute ago, gowlerk said:

Actually, it is vitally important that governments get a handle on and stop the anonymity of crypto. The difficulty of collecting ransoms is the main reason kidnapping is no longer common is first world countries. If Russian or any other criminals can get away with these payments, so can others and we will soon be seeing the children of rich people needing heavy security.

If it's anonymity you need, cash is the way to go. Only draw back is that it needs to be physically transported.

[gowlerk 1,905]

1 minute ago, ryoder said:

If it's anonymity you need, cash is the way to go. Only draw back is that it needs to be physically transported.

That is a huge drawback.....lots of people in jail because of that little snag. It not only needs to be transported, it has serial numbers and laundering it can be very expensive. 

[ryoder 1,381]

4 minutes ago, gowlerk said:

That is a huge drawback.....lots of people in jail because of that little snag. It not only needs to be transported, it has serial numbers and laundering it can be very expensive. 

Indeed!

 

[kallend 1,623]

2 hours ago, gowlerk said:

Yes, there is an unknown amount of Bitcoin, and I suppose others that may as well be in a hole in the bottom of the sea because the keys are irrecoverably lost. But that is a different matter from having the FBI able to track the transactions.

Bitcoin and other crypto always puts me in mind of Apartments built by Hypnosis by the Marvelous Mystico and Janet (Monty Python season 3 episode 9)

[ryoder 1,381]

This line caught my eye this morning:

At the time, the company, Colonial Pipeline, told reporters they had paid the ransom to get their operations back up and running quickly, but they had actually turned quickly to the FBI, which apparently asked them to pay the ransom so its officials could follow the money trail.

Heather Cox Richardson: June 7, 2021