[tor-talk] Gmail and Bitcoin? [OT]

[adrelanos at riseup.net]

>> we should regard bitcoin as no
>> different from the traditional banking system in terms of transaction
>> privacy for the *average* user.

Yes, it's very difficult to use it safely anonymously.

I tried to grasp it. Here is my summary (a tiny bit Whonix specific but I
guess replacing the terms Whonix with Tor wouldn't be too difficult):
https://sourceforge.net/p/whonix/wiki/Money/

>> "anonymous" prepaid credit cards are available in some areas

I don't consider them very anonymous.

Quoted form my Whonix money page
(https://sourceforge.net/p/whonix/wiki/Money/):

^a^ Cash codes are printed once bought and could contain a code tied down
to the exact shop location, perhaps date and time. I don't know if that
already happens. If so that would be non-anonymous if they also keep
camera recordings and/or bought by non-anonymous means (ex: credit card).
The country code is already encoded into the cash code of Paysafecard and
Ukash. A country code and/or city code already decreases anonymity.

^b^ Anonymous credit cards and gift cards are not anonymous if you need to
leave your real name and/or address or if you can't buy them with cash.
Footnote ^a^ also applies.

One can buy prepaid cards at a lot of newspaper stands, gas stations and
supermarkets anonymously using cash. In Germany there is a limit of 100
€/month due to the Gesetz über das Kreditwesen (Banking Act)
(http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/kredwg/__25i.html).

Outlets selling cash codes (paysafecard, Ukash etc.) close to you may be
found with the "Find sales outlets" search on the website of the provider.
In order to a guarantee a smooth and anonymous deployment of cash codes
you should consider the following advices:

Refrain from checking the cash codes before using them. Use the codes
immediately. Due to restrictive security settings cash codes are blocked
automatically if they are entered from more than one IP address.

If your cash code got blocked automatically, you could try writing an
email to the support of the provider. If you provide a copy of that cash
code they may give you a new one which is unblocked.

Thanks to JonDos (https://anonymous-proxy-servers.net/) (Permission)
(https://anonymous-proxy-servers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=31220&sid=ac8a6ca16eb768b3322be30b20375c97#p31220).
The "Using prepaid cards" chapter of the Whonix Money wiki page contains
content from the JonDonym anonymous payment page
(https://anonymous-proxy-servers.net/en/help/premium_jondo4.html).