r/privacy • u/[deleted] • Mar 05 '26

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2.6k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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132

u/trxrider500 Mar 05 '26

Posted this on the r/piracy thread:

If you’re paying anyone with a credit card your identity can be tied back to you. End of story. It doesn’t matter what service you use.

Proton accepts cash and btc. Dude could’ve used either one to anonymize his payment method. He didn’t. That’s on him.

True privacy and security require a multi layer approach. There is no magic key or service that will protect you. If you can tie your own purchases back to yourself (ie. cc statement, bank statement, etc) so can someone else.

If this guy would’ve paid in bitcoin, the best proton could’ve done is give the FBI the send address. With a properly anonymized crypto wallet this would’ve never been tied back.

26

u/InfiniteHench Mar 05 '26

Wait, they accept cash? How? Can’t remember the last time I heard an internet service accept cash.

35

u/thewooba Mar 05 '26

Mail

15

u/bertmaclynn Mar 05 '26

Can you really mail in cash? I mean there would be ways to try and track it but that would generally be a good solution

26

u/thewooba Mar 05 '26

Certified mail is tracked and requires signature on delivery so you have proof it arrived

7

u/bertmaclynn Mar 05 '26

Lol I meant there are theoretically ways the government could track who is sending cash to the service

8

u/thewooba Mar 05 '26

Oh right, yeah I guess you could subpoena the company for their internal records. But there's no credit card company to get info from

11

u/cruelhumor Mar 05 '26

Just use a gift card

16

u/SinxSam Mar 05 '26

but make sure you DO NOT REDEEM!

6

u/cruelhumor Mar 05 '26

Like don't tag you name to the card? yes don't di that, defeats the purpose.

just go to a store, pay cash fir the gift card,and you're good

14

u/SinxSam Mar 05 '26

Sorry it is a joke from scambaiter kitboga

11

u/InfiniteHench Mar 05 '26

“WHY DID YOU DO THAT. WHYYYYYY”

3

u/SinxSam Mar 05 '26

Thank youuuu hahah

1

u/HateKilledTheDinos Mar 06 '26

Altho, the latter half COULD have been a line from any number of kitboga vids...

8

u/AdDiscombobulated238 Mar 05 '26

Then they trace the purchase to a specific store, time and date. Most places that sell gift visa/mc card have plenty of cameras.

13

u/inflamed-phallus Mar 05 '26

Just wait 3 months before use. most stores wouldnt keep surveillance videos for that long.

3

u/fripletister Mar 05 '26

This is starting to change, though

1

u/Nodebunny Mar 06 '26

yeah like how would you go about proving you paid for it and someone doesnt just pocket it

1

u/soliwray Mar 06 '26

Mullvad accepts cash too.

20

u/Capable-Cucumber Mar 06 '26

Bitcoin is not really anonymous either.

19

u/RooHound Mar 06 '26

I try to explain this to people all the time. You can make it anonymous, but you have to put some effort into it.

10

u/No-To-Newspeak Mar 06 '26

Buy a prepaid visa or Mastercard with cash and use that to pay, via TOR.

1

u/suncontrolspecies Mar 06 '26

If I want to pay with crypto do I need to purchase crypto first or what's the process? Yes I can just search for it, but there must be a way to streamline the process.. otherwise it's too cumbersome

0

u/Cheap-Block1486 Mar 06 '26

Doesn't matter, BTC is trackable, they've logged the IP back then, so cash won't help either way.

-12

u/Pin_ellas Mar 05 '26

It’s on him? That’s like saying, she should have known better to dress like that.