http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070111/ap_on_hi_te/spy_coins_10

 

WASHINGTON - Money talks, but can it also follow your movements?

 

In a U.S. government warning high on the creepiness scale, the Defense Department cautioned its American contractors over what it described as a new espionage threat: Canadian coins with tiny radio frequency transmitters hidden inside.

 

The government said the mysterious coins were found planted on U.S. contractors with classified security clearances on at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006 as the contractors traveled through Canada.

 

Intelligence and technology experts said such transmitters, if they exist, could be used to surreptitiously track the movements of people carrying the spy coins.

 

The U.S. report doesn't suggest who might be tracking American defense contractors or why. It also doesn't describe how the        Pentagon discovered the ruse, how the transmitters might function or even which Canadian currency contained them.

 

Further details were secret, according to the U.S. Defense Security Service, which issued the warning to the Pentagon's classified contractors. The government insists the incidents happened, and the risk was genuine.

 

"What's in the report is true," said Martha Deutscher, a spokeswoman for the security service. "This is indeed a sanitized version, which leaves a lot of questions."

 

Top suspects, according to outside experts: China, Russia or even France

THey might know about our invasion plans

"Intelligence and technology experts said such transmitters, if they exist, could be used to surreptitiously track the movements of people carrying the spy coins."

 

I prefer the CBC version.

 

I especially like this part:

 

[sNIP]

 

Makes no sense

 

The likely need for such a reading device means the doctored coins could be used to track people only in a controlled setting, not over long distances, said Chris Mathers, a security consultant and former undercover RCMP officer.

 

"From a technology perspective, it makes no sense," he said. "To me it's very strange."

 

Then there's the obvious problem: what if the coin holder plunks the device into a pop machine?

 

"You give the guy something with a transmitter that he's going to spend

Edited January 11, 200719 yr by Deraldin

...a female foreign spy who seduced her American boyfriend to steal his computer passwords.

 

Why doesnt this ever happen to me?

Because you have brain cancer?

 

On topic: :crazy:

Be careful Canada. If you piss us off we'll take away another one of your hockey teams. How about the New Orleans Maple Leafs?

Be careful Canada. If you piss us off we'll take away another one of your hockey teams. How about the New Orleans Maple Leafs? 

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Hah! Go ahead and take them! New Orleans will be renamed Toronto within a year after the influx of Canadian fans.

And I thought you guys were my friends!

I don't see the point in a transmitter of this sort. Unless it was a booster that amplified, say, the EMR frequency signature sequence that a keypress makes, for example ... "

that'll teach you for thinking, Krook :D

We should invade. They might have WMDs.

We should invade.  They might have WMDs.

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They aren't ours I swear! We were just holding on to them for a friend!

Well, the fact you have them makes you a more viable target to invade than lets say... Iraq was. DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

 

Oh, wait. We don't actually invade countries that have been confirmed to have WMDs, like North Korea. Silly me. :crazy:

Edited January 11, 200719 yr by Sand

Iraq was confirmed to have WMDs. That was the whole reason why they were ordered to destroy them. LOL It would seem odd for the Un to order Iraq to destroy soemthing they don't have or for Sadda, to admit to having them. Not to mention the fact Iraq has used WMD so it is a fact they had them.

 

As for the topic, it's an odd way to go about spying on your neighbour. While it seems silly for Kanada to spy on the US and vice versa. I'm sure they both do it as a matter of course.

Edited January 12, 200719 yr by Volourn

When did Iraq use WMDs when the US invaded?

Nobody said they did.

Back on topic.

As for the topic, it's an odd way to go about spying on yoru neighbour. While it seems silly for Kanada to spy on the US and vice versa. I'm sure they both do it as a matter of course.

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It's probably the Chinese. :ph34r:

Kanada wouldn't spy on us. They're one of our loyal subjects. They know what happens when you make Big Brother angry, invasion time!

Nah, they'd just destabilize the economy / government and let a new lot in.

Back on topic.

As for the topic, it's an odd way to go about spying on yoru neighbour. While it seems silly for Kanada to spy on the US and vice versa. I'm sure they both do it as a matter of course.

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It's probably the Chinese. :ph34r:

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wouldn't doubt it... and microsoft probably designed whatever software the chinese use in conjunction with the transmitters.

 

HA! Good Fun!

and with the amount of canadian money that is accepted in the US as legit it's surprising. I am not kidding you... go up to Canada, make change for a couple of dollars, and start slipping them into your change when you pay for somthing. You'd be surprised how many people accept them, I've gotten several from rolls that were made by the bank.

 

Other forms of currency that are similar to the US coin are used (I got one that looks almost russian back has a giant five and the word KO(II)EEK the II is connected at the top.)

and with the amount of canadian money that is accepted in the US as legit it's surprising. I am not kidding you... go up to Canada, make change for a couple of dollars, and start slipping them into your change when you pay for somthing. You'd be surprised how many people accept them, I've gotten several from rolls that were made by the bank.

 

Other forms of currency that are similar to the US coin are used (I got one that looks almost russian back has a giant five and the word KO(II)EEK the II is connected at the top.)

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And I bet that when you go make change for those few dollars that you'll get a few US coins as well.

(I got one that looks almost russian back has a giant five and the word KO(II)EEK the II is connected at the top.)

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The word 'Kopyek' is the Russian equivelent to dollar.

 

This sound like BS but if it is true and they are using the exterior metal of the coin as the transmitting 'antenna', a simple trip to the nearest microwave would destroy the internals of the device. This will BTW, also destroy any hidden RDF chips that are being considered being added to clothing and what-not. Can't have Sears 'seeing' what size and colour of Victoria's Secrets underwear that Sand is wearing that day.

Tarna FTW!!!