Silk Road forums
Discussion => Security => Topic started by: babypuncher on June 01, 2012, 08:38 am
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Hey folks,
I am very new at this and have made a few purchases on the road.
I have 2 questions for the experienced peeps out there:
1. Is it relatively anonymous to purchase bitcoins, and then transfer them first to instawallet and then to silkroad ? Is this a sufficient washing process ?
2. When I start up TOR, I always use the network map and hit "refresh" and pick a "new identity." I also go to a different web page ( eg. google) every time
to select the silk road wikipedia page ( to get the web address). Are these good or bad security ideas?
Any tips would be much appreciated !!
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Hey folks,
I am very new at this and have made a few purchases on the road.
I have 2 questions for the experienced peeps out there:
1. Is it relatively anonymous to purchase bitcoins, and then transfer them first to instawallet and then to silkroad ? Is this a sufficient washing process ?
It is anonymous if you use an anonymous method, i.e., deposit cash into a bitcoin service's bank account to buy bitcoins. But then if you send them to an online wallet and then to SR, that's is not good at all in my opinion. You'd be much better off using an intermediary like bitcoin fog (http://fogcore5n3ov3tui.onion) which masks the transaction very well. Witrh respect to depositing cash by the way, in almost all banks they will not ask for your ID for this.
2. When I start up TOR, I always use the network map and hit "refresh" and pick a "new identity." I also go to a different web page ( eg. google) every time
to select the silk road wikipedia page ( to get the web address). Are these good or bad security ideas?
Any tips would be much appreciated !!
You don't need to pick a new tor identity every time you start tor. But for getting the SR address, I don't understand why you do this. It's just sufficient to store SR's URL somewhere and then paste it into the web browser. If you actively search for it, you might wind up in a spoof website where you could wind up giving your password to a scammer and goodbye bitcoins if you have a balance.
goblin
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1. Is it relatively anonymous to purchase bitcoins, and then transfer them first to instawallet and then to silkroad ? Is this a sufficient washing process ?
No not at all, bitcoins can be traced from wallet to wallet (it's public information) so what you're doing is pointless. The best way to remain anonymous is to either:
A) Purchase the bitcoins from an anonymous supplier
B) Use a washing service, such as bitcoinfog.com
C) Buy them for cash from a reputable dealer here, such as vlad1m1r
2. When I start up TOR, I always use the network map and hit "refresh" and pick a "new identity." I also go to a different web page ( eg. google) every time
to select the silk road wikipedia page ( to get the web address). Are these good or bad security ideas?
When you start up Tor it automatically has picked a "new identity" every time, you don't need to do this.
You get a different web page as you are browsing the internet anonymously using a different computer each time (exit node), may be someone in Germany, may be someone in China.
You shouldn't go to the Silk Road Wikipedia page from within Tor, as some computers (exit nodes) are poisoned, and they change websites such as Wikipedia to trap you, and send you to a fake Silk Road where you enter your account details and then they have access to your account. This happens a lot. You should either bookmark it, learn it in your head, or get the link from normal internet Wikipedia before hand every time. Bookmarking it won't compromise your security in any way, Tor doesn't save your browsing history so it won't look like you've ever been here.
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1. Is it relatively anonymous to purchase bitcoins, and then transfer them first to instawallet and then to silkroad ? Is this a sufficient washing process ?
No not at all, bitcoins can be traced from wallet to wallet (it's public information) so what you're doing is pointless. The best way to remain anonymous is to either:
A) Purchase the bitcoins from an anonymous supplier
B) Use a washing service, such as bitcoinfog.com
C) Buy them for cash from a reputable dealer here, such as vlad1m1r
2. When I start up TOR, I always use the network map and hit "refresh" and pick a "new identity." I also go to a different web page ( eg. google) every time
to select the silk road wikipedia page ( to get the web address). Are these good or bad security ideas?
When you start up Tor is automatically has picked a "new identity" every time, you don't need to do this.
You get a different web page as you are browsing the internet anonymously using a different computer each time (exit node), may be someone in Germany, may be someone in China.
You shouldn't go to the Silk Road Wikipedia page from within Tor, as some computers (exit nodes) are poisoned, and they change websites such as Wikipedia to trap you, and send you to a fake Silk Road where you enter your account details and then they have access to your account. This happens a lot. You should either bookmark it, learn it in your head, or get the link from normal internet Wikipedia before hand every time. Bookmarking it won't compromise your security in any way, Tor doesn't save your browsing history so it won't look like you've ever been here.
Many thanks to you for the kind referral OscarZulu - if you ever need Bitcoins yourself I'm sure we can work out a special rate as a way of saying thank you.
As for you Babypuncher, the only way to obtain Bitcoins safely is through selling goods or services in exchange for them or buying them with cash. Any other method is potentially traceable. By all means send me a message if you need any help.
All the best,
V.
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Many thanks all.