Can't find this one in the archives...

We need to send a sizable amount of money to a fellow who has provided us with some food and misc. supplies, as well as a woodstove, etc.

Last time we sent him a cashier's check, bought through our local bank, which the purchase of, we are sure, is recorded and zipping around in the happy info exchange universe.

We know our local bank is embracing know your customer.

What other methods of getting the payment to the poor guy are there, short of sending the cash disguised in a box of homemade brownies?

Any ideas will be appreciated!

-- Arewyn (nordic@northnet.net), April 27, 1999

Answers

Money orders. They're sold at post offices, grocery stores, 7-11 stores....virtually everywhere.

Most MOs have upper limits, so you'll have to spread it out a bit.

-- LP (soldog@hotmail.com), April 27, 1999.

USPS money orders have a limit of $700 per MO. But they don't mind selling you multiples...

-- j (sandpine@juno.com), April 27, 1999.

I'm thinking your cash is in the bank. If you were holding cash in hand, you could find a reputable coin dealer and exchange your fiat money for real gold, in this case bullion would be easiest. Send it to the man registered and insured. You are not required to give your name or info to the dealer. No trail.

-- potent308 (potent308@hotmail.com), April 27, 1999.

Money orders. Easily available at local stores(convenience store types). They're pretty cheap too I believe.

-- anita (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), April 27, 1999.

both buyer and seller could establish e-gold accounts
http://www.e-gold.com
and buyer could fund his account, then transfer some to seller.
BTW, you can open account w/out SSN if you do it right.

-- A (A@AisA.com), April 27, 1999.

Having a spouse who works at the post office, I will tell you that the clerks are instructed to write up any persons who buy money orders out of the ordinary. These include multiple orders, buying just under the limit, buying repeatedly during the same day (or multiple days if the clerk recognizes you). Kinda sounds like the bank...

-- Just Me (Just Me@Wherever.com), April 27, 1999.

Why not send him duct tape, I hear it may be a valuable barter item in the future.

-- Proud2baPolly (Proud2b@Polly.net), April 27, 1999.

Back in the 70s I wanted to buy a bunch of gold without a paper trail. I went to a bank where they didn't know me and gave them the cash and a false name. I got a cashiers check with no fuss. But the other day I was in the bank, AMSouth and a woman in front of me in line had cash in hand, $155, and wanted to buy a cashier's check. The teller told her that she could not take the cash, that the woman had to deposit it into her acc't and then write a check for the cashier's check. So they got ya! I would try and find a way to get the cash safely to him. Someone you can trust that is going his way or something. I have on occassion FedExd cash, but you are screwed if they lose or steal it.

Taz

-- Taz (Tassie @aol.com), April 27, 1999.

It's easy... Find a futures broker with cheap comission rates. Set up an account under your name, and have the person you wish to transfer funds to open an account under his name (both with the same broker). Then, buy one long contract and one short contract each day for the same market (cattle, pork bellies, or whatever). At the end of each day, the market will have moved, and, depending on the direction, one of the contracts will have made a profit and the other contract will have lost an identical amount. Now, here's the neat part... The broker buys the contracts in his name, but assigns them to your account at the end of the day. So, have him select the losing contract each day and assign in to your account, and assign the winning contract to the account you want to transfer the funds into. Shazam! One of you is a market genius, and the other is a prepetual looser! And, the only one who knows the score (besides you and your friend) is the broker -- and there are ways to handle that. Worked for me!

-- (hillary@whithouse.gov), April 27, 1999.

Western Union is still in business I beleive

-- Bib Pilcher (rpilc99206@aol.com), April 27, 1999.

American Express -- wiring money -- and probably Western Union also, are now defacto agents of government surveillance. While looking into offshore accounts some time ago, I checked out American Express to see about wiring money to an account. Fine, as long as you give fingerprint, retinal (eye) print, facial photometric scan, DNA sample, address history for the last 50 years, SSN, Driv Lic #, names and addresses of all your family and business associates, addresses of establishments you frequent, your future travel plans, etc.

Maybe some of you are getting it that this government is your enemy?

-- A (A@AisA.com), April 28, 1999.