TV Anchor Shows Off Bitcoin, Is Instantly Robbed

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Do we even have a "Dumbass of the Day" category? Well, thanks to this guy, I guess we have one now. :D

While on air, Miller surprised Bloomberg anchors Adam Johnson and Trish Regan each with $20 worth of Bitcoin. But as Johnson received the paper gift, he briefly exposed the QR code. Immediately, someone lifted the QR code and stole the $20.
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Ha ha epic troll by whomever that did it! At least he did offer to refund it. :)
 
But hey! The government insures this stuff. So you're safe from being ripped off.

Uhhhhh...

Never mind.
 
Chas said:
But hey! The government insures this stuff. So you're safe from being ripped off.

Uhhhhh...

Never mind.
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Pretty sure the government doesn't insure any currency so your sarcasm is stupid.
 
PCunicorn said:
Pretty sure the government doesn't insure any currency so your sarcasm is stupid.
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seconded.

really great guys all around, though. both the guy who took it and matt miller. it's important to make people aware of how vulnerable their virtual currencies can be if they are lazy and dont protect themselves.
 
...unless you're talking FDIC but that is not really applicable to this situation.
 
You won't catch me using a currency with such a blatant weakness. Why don't they have a diffusion layer on the QR for sensitive items so it can only be scanned within ultra-close proximity.
 
createcoms said:
You won't catch me using a currency with such a blatant weakness. Why don't they have a diffusion layer on the QR for sensitive items so it can only be scanned within ultra-close proximity.
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It's not a flaw in the currency per se, it's a flaw in that particular physical implementation of it. There's nothing to stop someone from coming up with their own diffused QR code solution.
 
I don't know much about bitcoins, isnt a bitcoin worth like 1000$ US? If so how can you give the equivalent of 20$? Is there fraction of bitcoins?
 
MrPatate said:
I don't know much about bitcoins, isnt a bitcoin worth like 1000$ US? If so how can you give the equivalent of 20$? Is there fraction of bitcoins?
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Lmao, the smallest fraction of bitcoin is currently worth

$0.000006438 USD.
 
PCunicorn said:
Pretty sure the government doesn't insure any currency so your sarcasm is stupid.
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Pretty sure the government doesn't issue currency that can be value-nullified by someone using a screen capture of it.
 
Chas said:
Pretty sure the government doesn't issue currency that can be value-nullified by someone using a screen capture of it.
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What this tv reporter did is akin to writing your checking acccount #, ss #, and pin # on a posterboard and putting it on tv...
 
257Tony said:
What this tv reporter did is akin to writing your checking acccount #, ss #, and pin # on a posterboard and putting it on tv...
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not really even close.

its more like posting an amazon gift card code so everyone could see it.
 
Can anyone explain WHY bitcoins are worth anything? From my understanding mining does not actually produce anything in the distributed computing sense (SETI, folding @ home, etc) and is just making people use computer cycles to earn this currency. That said, even the currency's introduction is nonsensical -- someone just issued a bunch of these bitcoins with nothing backing them and now they're worth something? Why? And please don't go off on some asinine topic about how US$ are worthless or something, at least they are issued by a government entity, not a RANDOM anonymous internet user.
 
boden11 said:
Can anyone explain WHY bitcoins are worth anything? From my understanding mining does not actually produce anything in the distributed computing sense (SETI, folding @ home, etc) and is just making people use computer cycles to earn this currency. That said, even the currency's introduction is nonsensical -- someone just issued a bunch of these bitcoins with nothing backing them and now they're worth something? Why? And please don't go off on some asinine topic about how US$ are worthless or something, at least they are issued by a government entity, not a RANDOM anonymous internet user.
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You should read the BTC whitepaper. Secondly, miners secure the network. They process the hashing power to verify blocks and transactions that are contained in said blocks.
 
Ok, that makes sense. However I thought they will eventually mine all bitcoins in which case who will secure the network

oblox said:
You should read the BTC whitepaper. Secondly, miners secure the network. They process the hashing power to verify blocks and transactions that are contained in said blocks.
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boden11 said:
Ok, that makes sense. However I thought they will eventually mine all bitcoins in which case who will secure the network
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i would expect the people with tons of coins would want to keep hashing so the network stays smooth and maintain the value of their invesment
 
The dollar is backed by the federal reserve which is not run by the government. What gives bitcoin value is people. They accept it as currency, that's all that needs to happen.
 
257Tony said:
What this tv reporter did is akin to writing your checking acccount #, ss #, and pin # on a posterboard and putting it on tv...
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Next time you go to the bank or your bank's website, try to get money out by ONLY typing in using your account #, SS#, and pin#
 
PCunicorn said:
Pretty sure the government doesn't insure any currency so your sarcasm is stupid.
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Perhaps the user posting was Canadian? They do in Canada... Certain bank accounts up to a limit of $100,000.00 have government insurance that if the bank should fail... the government covers your first $100k. The government at least requires all bank to have that much insurance minimum on a bank account. I can't guarantee necessarily that they do the insuring but one way or another insuring happens to protect against banks failing. This has been done since back in the 70s in Canada.

I know, that's not 'directly' currency but I'd imagine that bitcoins in a bitcoin wallet is probably equivalent to dollars in an electronic bank account. A place were currency is temporarily stored till those with access can/do come along and remove it.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Next time you go to the bank or your bank's website, try to get money out by ONLY typing in using your account #, SS#, and pin#
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Might be possible via Social Engineering with the 'I forgot my password. Here's my address, account number, SS# and pin#'. In fact, if the pin number is the password for online banking at a given bank -- it would be very easy.
 
Wildace said:
i would expect the people with tons of coins would want to keep hashing so the network stays smooth and maintain the value of their invesment
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not really there is a fee to make transaction faster
this fee is added the block reward after all the coins are mined(and even be for) there will still be a reward from doing the work
btw last coin will be mined some time in 2130 2140 ish
 
PCunicorn said:
Pretty sure the government doesn't insure any currency so your sarcasm is stupid.
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I think to a curtain extent it does. I read stories where damaged bill were exchanged for new as long as the serial # was intact.
 
The way I see it, the anchor really only ever had two choices.

1)get robbed instantly
2)get robbed on tax day

At least this way, the gov doesn't get to waste his money on killing brown people or building massive data centers to spy on it's own citizens.........
 
sfsuphysics said:
Next time you go to the bank or your bank's website, try to get money out by ONLY typing in using your account #, SS#, and pin#
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No need to go to the bank, if the user has an online account set up you can take all the money you want with just the account # and pin #. Go ahead and post your info for me and I will show you :-D
 
WBurchnall said:
Perhaps the user posting was Canadian? They do in Canada... Certain bank accounts up to a limit of $100,000.00 have government insurance that if the bank should fail... the government covers your first $100k. The government at least requires all bank to have that much insurance minimum on a bank account. I can't guarantee necessarily that they do the insuring but one way or another insuring happens to protect against banks failing. This has been done since back in the 70s in Canada.

I know, that's not 'directly' currency but I'd imagine that bitcoins in a bitcoin wallet is probably equivalent to dollars in an electronic bank account. A place were currency is temporarily stored till those with access can/do come along and remove it.
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The other person was referring to the semantics of it. The FDIC insures the VALUE of a bank account (and it must part of the central banks). The value of that account can take many forms (cash, cashiers check, debit card). The FDIC does not ensure that your cash is secure. Only that the value is protected.
 
The guy should have known the crowd that uses bitcoins are nothing but criminals and people looking to exploit it for quick bucks and putting it up there would have lead to it being stolen instantly.
PCunicorn said:
Pretty sure the government doesn't insure any currency so your sarcasm is stupid.
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governments insure currency that's how come you call it a government backed currency. In the US the government insures bank accounts up to a certain amount so people wont go make a run on the banks because they heard something. Do they secure your wallet? Nope
Wildace said:
nothing really backs the US dollar either why do we use it?
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Are you stupid the US government backs the US dollar... Like all government currencies. Does a physical product back the US dollar nope because such gold standards etc would cause the dollar to be so expensive and ridged it be impractical for a modern economy. US government can manipulate and regulate the dollar you use it because it's valued is secured because it's tied to the US government, which is faith in the government not faith in cryptology and random entities who heavily manipulate the price of bitcoin.
 
Semantics said:
The guy should have known the crowd that uses bitcoins are nothing but criminals and people looking to exploit it for quick bucks and putting it up there would have lead to it being stolen instantly.

governments insure currency that's how come you call it a government backed currency. In the US the government insures bank accounts up to a certain amount so people wont go make a run on the banks because they heard something. Do they secure your wallet? Nope

Are you stupid the US government backs the US dollar... Like all government currencies. Does a physical product back the US dollar nope because such gold standards etc would cause the dollar to be so expensive and ridged it be impractical for a modern economy. US government can manipulate and regulate the dollar you use it because it's valued is secured because it's tied to the US government, which is faith in the government not faith in cryptology and random entities who heavily manipulate the price of bitcoin.
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You are a fking moron. Guy offered to give the money back, and ended up giving it to a charity because the reporter didn't want it back. If shit goes south and us govt keeps printing money eventually USD won't be worth much. Governments are irresponsible with money, look at the history of Germany for instance.

Its the banks and federal reserve that's ran by criminals.
 
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