LulzSec Calls For PayPal Boycott, Spokesman Arrested 425
An anonymous reader writes "British police have arrested a 19-year-old man believed to be 'Topiary', the official spokesperson of the LulzSec hactivist group. The man was arrested at his home in the Shetland Islands earlier today (July 27), and is being transported to a central London police station." Also today, LulzSec has called for a boycott of PayPal saying “We encourage anyone using PayPal to immediately close their accounts and consider an alternative.”
Its possible to close a paypal account? (Score:3, Interesting)
Its possible to close a paypal account? If you thought it was hard to delete your facebook acct, try paypal for a real challenge.
Re:What alternative? (Score:3, Interesting)
Until they decide to freeze your account for a few months because some joker on eBay lodged a totally fake complaint. At that point you may not like them so much anymore.
Paypal's service is pretty terrible whenever there's any kind of problem. You're really just counting on getting lucky that you're not one of the people who does.
Re:do alternatives exist? (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm reminded of a saying... (Score:3, Interesting)
"You may stop this individual, but you can't stop us all... after all, we're all alike."
The police, of course and for the benefit of society is more like Pokemon, "Gotta catch 'em all!"
Imagine this for a second. 6 people are able to do massive hacks around the world. Remove one or all of them, and expecting at least 6 more to pop up in a world population of 7 billion is quite nearly inevitable.
But this is different than terrorism. In terrorism, you have to have access to money, IDs, explosive equipment, and be willing to die for your crazy cause. All a hacker needs is a PC, a net connection, and time.
I'm convinced that police could theoretically arrest every single terrorist that does or could exist (that isn't blowing themselves up before arrest) given enough time. But I don't believe they'd catch every hacker even if they worked the entire age of the universe given current technology and trends. And one day, someone is going to pull off the mother of all hacks that will have devastating consequences... but...
It won't be a lone wolf. As many hackers as may exist in the wild, far more work for governments. Why? Not on principle, but because what could be better for a hacker than to hack all day, being paid, and having complete immunity for your actions. No, you can't go bragging on Twitter. But I doubt the hackers that took the Iranian centrifuges cared about bragging, because the entire world saw their work already.
Re:Umm. No credibility (Score:4, Interesting)
Last night I explicitly chose not to buy something online because the vendor only accepted PayPal payments.
He lost a $425 sale, I lost the chance to buy an item I wanted. PayPal lost credibility with the vendor; they had none with me from the outset.
I agree that they're in a largely monopoly position. I hate that but it doesn't make me play with them. Fuck 'em, and their obnoxious anti-consumerist scams.
Re:Umm. No credibility (Score:3, Interesting)
What do you expect from British law enforcement?
I don't know, maybe the creation of some false flag organization called "LulzSec"? That allows them to go around arresting people claiming they are "part of it", when, in fact, it's some government lackeys running the whole thing?
Come on, people! Hal Turner? You know they do this stuff! Look at this post from their Twitter page:
What 19-year-old would even know that song from the 1970's? Or anybody under 40? Much less use it as a reference.
Government is shutting down hundreds of websites whenever they want to just for selling fake handbags, yet Lulzsec still has an active Twitter account? Give me a break!
Re:Alternative? (Score:4, Interesting)
You are complaining that they are "stealing" your money even though you haven't given them proof of who you are.
If they want proof of ID, then they should ask for it up front - not when they have money and I have no option. Of course they won't return the money to the sender either.
http://www.moneybookers.com/app/help.pl?s=laundering [moneybookers.com]
Do you read things before you sign up? And why should they ask for ID before legally required too, you want them to go beyond what the law requires?
Unlike PayPal, who you would also be sending your ID to, at a random address, Moneybookers is regulated.
Show me the regulation that says that they get to keep any money?
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006R1781:en:NOT [europa.eu]
Your money is sitting in that account because you are a retard, not because they are thieves.
They are thieves. They won't give me my money and they won't give it to the person that sent it. And they demand that I send them a photocopy of a document that can be used to open bank accounts (real ones), apply to loans, and lot of other things. If you think I'm being a retard for not sending them that document, then will, go fuck yourself and send them yours.
They can't give you your money because doing so without documenting your identity is against the law. They can't give it to the person who sent it because that would also be against the law if they don't have your ID on record. They aren't thieves because they haven't kept the money for themselves, it is sitting there waiting for someone to provide the identification the law requires in order to transfer it.
And yes that ID is just what you would need to open a bank account. Which is obvious, since the bank wants the same ID for the exact same reason - the same laws apply to them.