Yeah, that much is clear. This is a "hey citizen" moment. Police state shit right here. The next time I hear some supposedly freedom loving "conservative" defending the police I'm gonna point this out. You can't love the police and not be pro police state. Clearly we are in the fight you stage. Started gradually and now we are in the suddenly stage.
Do NOT let fear take hold. Stay strong! Also don't be stupid.
Do NOT let fear take hold. Stay strong! Also don't be stupid.
I really appreciate this kind of advice. We are not criminals. We should not assume the posture of the guilty. But we don't need to go out of our way to piss off power-hungry bureaucrats.
At the same time, there will likely come a time when we are faced with a choice between freedom and compliance. Hopefully we will remember that sometimes freedom looks stupid.
I remember them saying no gatherings in your homes. I told my wife they are not taking my son's birthday party from him. They can arrest me. I'm ready to go. I'm not bending the knee. I told the guy renting the bounce house I would not report him. And you know what? Nothing happened. They use fear to control us.
It sounds silly but I meant it.
A few weeks later the sheriff where I live made a statement that they would not be enforcing these orders but instead would focus on actual crime and violence.
We need to live our lives in peace. Make them drop the mask. Some of us may not make it. So be it. My kid's future is worth it to me. Those kids yet to be born are worth it. What's this all about if it isn't the future of humanity.
You were lucky you got away with it.
I remember in my town we had the firetruck come by and honk their horn because kids couldnt have a birthday party.
And they actually enforced it.
Gottta lead by fear!
I remember when there was this big campaign to draw a line across the state so that the south of the state didnt mix with the north.
I also remember taking my kids to the playground and this other parent spraying everything and wiping everything down before their kid touched anything.
This does sound like they are limiting our freedoms.
Starting to constrict them.
First it was armbands, then it was ghettos, then concentration camps, right?
This demand is going to make all americans more vulnerable to identity theft because I don't see these people demanding that the exchanges themselves implement proper data collection and security practices.
Trying to scare people away from Bitcoin by creating the perception that you are a criminal just by using it. The sad thing is that it will probably work for most normal people.
Alert Number: I-042524-PSA
April 25, 2024
Alert on Cryptocurrency Money Services Businesses
The FBI warns Americans against using cryptocurrency money transmitting services that are not registered as Money Services Businesses (MSB) according to United States federal law (31 U.S.C. § 5330; 31 CFR §§ 1010; 1022) and do not adhere to anti-money laundering requirements. A few simple steps can prevent unintentional use of non-compliant services. For example, avoid cryptocurrency money transmitting services that do not collect know your customer (KYC) information from customers when required.
MSB Registration
The FBI has recently conducted law enforcement operations against cryptocurrency services which were not licensed in accordance with federal law. People who use unlicensed cryptocurrency money transmitting services may encounter financial disruptions during law enforcement actions, especially if their cryptocurrency is intermingled with funds obtained through illegal means.
Risky Services
Cryptocurrency money transmitting services that purposely break the law or knowingly facilitate illegal transactions will be investigated by law enforcement. Using a service that does not comply with its legal obligations may put you at risk of losing access to funds after law enforcement operations target those businesses.
Tips to Protect Yourself
Before using a money transmitting service, check whether it is registered as an MSB with the US Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). FinCEN provides a website where anyone can check whether a company is registered: https://www.fincen.gov/msb-state-selector
However, the inclusion of a business on the MSB Registrant Search web page is not a recommendation, certification of legitimacy, or endorsement of the business by any government agency.
Beware of financial services that do not ask for KYC information including name, date of birth, address, and ID before allowing you to send or receive money or cryptocurrency.
Understand that just because an app can be found in an app store does not necessarily mean it is a legal service and is complying with federal requirements.
Avoid using services that advertise themselves for illegal purposes.
Be cautious when using cryptocurrency services known to be used by criminals to launder their funds.
The FBI requests victims report fraudulent or suspicious activities to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
The FBI is in the business of INVESTIGATING CRIMES by already established laws, which is how this warning reads if you're not too busy wiping the drool from the side of your face.
OK. So you agree with them. Good to know. I didn't even know bitcoin was money according to the government.
People who use unlicensed cryptocurrency money transmitting services may encounter financial disruptions during law enforcement actions, especially if their cryptocurrency is intermingled with funds obtained through illegal means.
This is clearly written to strike fear in bitcoiners. But I guess if we all registered and required KYC we could also get away with funneling funds for Epstein like good ole Dimon. The FBI has a long history of violating the rights of US citizens. This is just a new group they are targeting to show their value to the leaches they work for. They don't work for us. These actions do not make any of us safer.
They had to issue a statement, It is a warning in response to complaint, so they have to answer. What did you expect? They will not encourage you to use non-KYC methods, but they can't stop you either.
It's their "tips and advice"... you are free to follow or simply ignore it, or tell them to take their suggestions and shovel you know where... Your call.
Not surprised, they are "apparatchick" of this system so they will spew this "tips" any chance they get.
it's all about scaring the shit out of normies so they give away their BTC to ETFs.
That's how they will make BTC a "compliant token"... with people's consent.
Who is scared the shit out about these crap tactics, please sell now your BTC,
More sats for me
I sincerely don't give a shit about all these scandals.
Nothing can scare me.
The only problem I see is how people will comply with stupid rules.
People must learn to how to say NO, I do not consent.
I'm advising all subjects of all governments to AML-KYC all government people, places and things. Do not give money to any of them if you do not know all of them!
If a government has any employees or contractors who kill or harm any humans and you give them your money then you are contributing to terrorism.
Bitcoin is code. Bitcoin is a measure of money. And it is the only real money. The only way money can be accurately measured is by Bitcoin. The only way to measure Bitcoin is to use it and verify it. If someone had not verified or used Bitcoin then he or she cannot actually know it's value. Bitcoin value is not determined by any authority.
For a while I had the impression that you are only a money transmitting service if you accept currency from person A and give it to person B. But that seems to be changing. In their prosecution of Samourai, they indict Samourai as an unlicensed money transmitter for (among other things) running the Ricochet service, which is just an inbox where people send signed "raw" bitcoin transactions that Samourai broadcasts at random future times (they do this to disrupt timing analysis and to confuse chain analysis software). If merely "sending someone else's signed bitcoin transaction to the network" (!) counts as transmitting money, then every bitcoin node that relays blocks or mempool transactions also counts as a money transmitter. So if you've ever used a wallet that doesn't do KYC on you and does somehow manage to get your bitcoin transactions into bitcoin, it looks like the FBI is warning you to stop.
This is clearly an attempt to scare people, but it's not working. You can't lump everything together. And if I compile my own wallet, do I have to do KYC on myself? Ahahahah
This is clearly an attempt to scare people, but it's not working. You can't lump everything together. And if I compile my own wallet, do I have to do KYC on myself? Ahahahah
I think they would go after any node that relays your transactions and charge them with transmitting money sans KYC
Well, I don't think they would do that, but I wonder if they want node operators to worry about a dragnet operation -- "if I keep running this node they're coming after me!"
I’ve been talking this over with my wife the past couple of hours. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing with our node. We all knew this day would come, albeit not so soon.
Let’s assume they are going to do what they threaten here and every node operator is at risk. My big concern is my family. Let’s just say for fun that a node was being operated out of a house and there was a clear operator, but the other adults in the house knew about it. Would they be implicated? If so, could that person go on an old platform like Facebook or twitter and preemptively implicate their whole friend list in a way that’s documented? Getting ratted out early and debating the fourth amendment seems more appealing than to me than seeing my wife, who doesn’t operate the node at all, in prison with our kids all alone.
Indeed. This is bull shit fear mongering tactics. This is your tax dollars at work being used to keep you in line. These are your politicians not representing your interests but instead their own bellies.
So I'm going to play devil's advocate. The way it reads sounds like they are about to go after some companies they perceive as shady and are actually warning the public to move their money.
It says Cryptocurrency money transmitting services. If they treat it as money, why is it taxed as property, with no exemption for transactions under $200 according to IRS section I.R.C. § 988(e)(2)???
Using a service that does not comply with its legal obligations may put you at risk of losing access to funds after law enforcement operations target those businesses.
You are at risk of losing your funds. Why? Because we might confiscate them. For your protection, do as you're told.
Post a list and shut them down if they are really doing something illegal. Why is it up to me to make that determination? The "I" in "FBI" is supposed to be for investigation.
The "I" isn't supposed to be me. "B" stands for bullshit because that is what the fuck this is. GTFOOHWTMFBS.
This is a way of using law enforcement(FBI, IRS, Interpol, Swat, Military, lowly Security guards and yes even modern police) to defend the dollar, against who else? Their citizens. Because if you don't have citizens, then you don't got a country to run. They're the taxpayers, after all.
You are heroes!!! That bs almost killed me.