Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Follow Up to Okie Card Reader Swindle - It's Pretty Awesome










"Earlier Monday at a news conference, Thompson said he wanted to re-evaluate use of the device but that there were no plans to stop using it.



"It's too good a tool" to cease using, he said. "I personally want to sit through this to get a clear understanding of how this works and get a good comfortable feel before we move forward."



What's more:
"The state paid $5,000 for the devices and $1,500 for training, and the company that makes the devices, ERAD Group, gets a 7.7 percent cut of any funds seized and forfeited through use of the device."



So to summarize, the Okie Dept. of Public Safety is very temporarily pulling this $6,500 money making scheme not because it does nothing to with Public Safety but everything to do with getting familiar with the product.  They probably spend more on new propaganda pamphlets from the SPLC every year so the cost is not so much in the grand scheme of things.  The cost is not the issue, the kickbacks to the developer are.  Moving on.



“We can do nothing with someone’s bank account. We can do nothing with someone’s debit card,” Adams said. “What we can tell is if it is yours, if the information on the back of a gift card is your personal credit card information.”

So this machine that costs $5000 and all they claim it can do is read out the name and banking information from the person that bought it.  It cannot touch the bank account of the purchaser but it can swipe the money from the card.  All without a shred of due process.  Moving on.

If we didn’t have this technologywe would lose out on the ability to help people that live and work here, or the people passing through here,” Thompson said."

I don't even know what that means, but I love it.  Sally Struthers was clearly being upstaged with this tearful mush-mouthed pile of garbage.  Moving on.



“In order for us to use those card readers … we have to have reasonable suspicion a crime has occurred to stop someone, then we have to have probable cause before we can move forward to swiping that card and seeing what’s on the card,” Thompson said."



In other words, a stop for a burned out tail light is PC to run your cards. And they wonder why people are pissed.  Thank you War on (Some) Drugs (c).



"Thompson said law enforcement agencies in at least 25 states have ERAD devices. The inventor of the device, T. Jack Williams, told Oklahoma Watch last week that hundreds of law enforcement agencies around the country have the device."



"So far, no prepaid card funds have been seized by the Highway Patrol using the devices, Thompson said. The department’s use of the devices is to combat criminal organizations that have taken to using prepaid cards as a way to fraudulently obtain money or disguise illicit operations, such as drug or human trafficking."

But hey, it's totally cool because, crime.  Or something.



Wait a tick. Didn't we have this from just last week: "If you can prove that you have a legitimate reason to have that money it will be given back to you. And we've done that in the past,"  [Oklahoma Highway Patrol 1LT] Vincent said about any money seized."



So first they took money from bank cards and were so kind as to give it back from a machine that can only read names on gift cards.  But then they did not take money from gift cards and it was all just a big misunderstanding but it's totally cool because 25 states us the technology.

Is it me, or do you have the feeling you're standing waist deep in a huge pile of male cow excrement?


 










17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Irony: Jeh Johnson Says Gun Control Now a Matter of Homeland Security...Orlando Terrorist Worked For DHS

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2016/06/14/ironic-jeh-johnson-says-gun-control-now-a-homeland-security-issueorlando-terrorist-worked-for-dhs-n2178248

Anonymous said...

Homeland floats 'national security' as excuse to take guns

Obama appointee signals new strategy for executive action

http://www.wnd.com/2016/06/homeland-floats-national-security-as-excuse-to-take-guns/

Unclezip said...

Welcome to the Internet, Okies.

Anonymous said...

ERAD gets a 7.7% cut of any pilfered,uh, i mean confiscated funds. What did Mussolini say the meaning of Fascism was again? A merger of state and corporate powers? You know, i want, I really really want to give cops the benefit of the doubt in all matters. But this guilty 'till proven innocent crap and common highwayman shakedowns put a damper on me giving them anything of the sort. A self-financed police dept. without any civil legislature doling out their budget becomes the SS. A paramilitary organization without any civilian restraint. At least the common highwayman/stickup man/thug robs you once and goes away and leaves you alone afterwards; plus he may think twice before shooting you because of the murder charge associated with it. But the cops - they can rob you every single time you're on the road AND shoot you for not cooperating with the holdup and rarely be held accountable...Any cop that just casually goes along with this type of larceny has no concept of the constitution and probably took the oath just to get a job. Probably wouldn't know Article I from the First Amendment; and probably couldn't care less. Or, he intentionally had his fingers crossed behind his back while stating his oath, and had a Satanic giggle escaping from his lips at the same time. Either way, calling him/her self "American" would be similar to Obozo calling himself "upstanding" and "ethical"..Shame on them all (if shame even bothers them)

Gene Urtel said...

Today is Flag Day. Remember it with a prayer!

Dear God of our Christian forefathers, the unseen yet all powerful director of our Union’s destiny, who raises up nations and casts them down:

On this day we commemorate the adoption of our national flag in 1777. Though this banner started out with just thirteen stars, representing a weak, war-weary, and impoverished union of colonies, you, the ruler of the heavens, gave this Union new life as a nation, and raised that number to fifty. During this period you also blessed our Union with a golden age of gospel belief with its accompanying peace and prosperity. Thank you for all of your past mercies!

Nevertheless, in the very midst of such amazing growth and success, our people treacherously turned their backs on you, discarded your priceless, soul-saving gospel, and despised their sin-removing Savior. As a result, a new, dark chapter has opened in our history. America now has joined that long list of nations which have done the same thing in the past, and now has to pay the awful price, not only by suffering from its own self-imposed miseries of a heathen, gospel-less society, but also because of America’s backsliding, you have been put in a punishing mode, and for decades now have sent your biblically-threatened punishments of bad government and of plagues, for instance. Though our national coins still say, “In God we trust,” the vast majority of our citizens no longer do that.

Just the same, on this memorable day, as we commemorate that point in time when our infant nation’s existence apparently would have been short-lived, you listened to the cries of our gospel-believing people, and in your grace aided them with unusual success in the face of defeat, and raised up our nation out of the ashes of war. Do so again!
Turn our people once more to you! Use your current punishments to awaken our nation out of its pride and have it kneel down before you in sorrow, shame, and deep regret over its damnable sin of gospel unbelief! As our land now enters one more dangerous chapter in its history; when for the third time again our Union is no longer “one nation under God,” but divided bitterly, and our national flag, in effect, has been torn again into three parts representing the left, right, and fence-sitting political factions, remind our people of your pledge, “If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2nd Chronicles 7:14)!

Therefore, enlighten our land with the sober realization that its core problem is spiritual, not political; that its political and societal problems are merely the symptoms of a much deeper evil of gospel rejection, which every American must address!
Then direct our hearts to Christ! Reassure us that by believing that the Son of God died on his cross as our Substitute in order to satisfy Divine Justice with the full payment for our sins, not only will we escape Judgment Day and the sentence of hell, but then we will possess that God-pleasing righteousness which alone will exalt our nation (Proverbs 14:34) and not degrade it in the public eye; which happily will move you to fulfill your pledged blessing of protection and deliverance! Indeed, this will be the highest form of patriotism.

So “Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; and deliver us and purge away our sins, for your name’s sake” (Psalm 79:9)! Amen!

Gene Urtel said...

Also consider the following on Flag Day!

While Denmark was the first of the Scandinavian countries to adopt a white cross on a field of red for use as its national banner, in time this design was adopted by the other Scandinavian countries as well: Sweden and Norway, as well as Finland. Iceland adopted it, also. To see an image of this, click on the link below.

http://therivertownpress.com/2015/11/lutheran-art/denmark-dannebrog-danish-cloth-flag-575-p/

This cross has been termed a “Nordic cross” because of its uniqueness. That is to say, it is a Latin cross which has been laid on its right side.
This national flag unashamedly represents Christianity.

While Israel inserts the star of David on its flag; while Muslim countries display the Islamic crescent on their flags, to put a Christian cross on a national banner, though not biblically commanded, will be a commendable national testimony of gospel belief.
As you may recall, gentlemen, from history: The flag which Columbus planted on the shores of America was neither the star of David, nor the Muslim crescent, nor the swastika, nor the hammer and sickle, but the cross of Christ.

Indeed, at this point in time; at this crucial moment in American history, when our very national existence is threatened again for the third time, our people would do well to insert in spirit the saving cross of Christ back into their national thinking, return their repentant hearts to their Savior, and confess publicly, “Without his gospel grace we are nothing”; hence the following picture of the holy white cross of Jesus Christ overlaid on our premiere national flag of 1777. To see this image, click on the link below.

http://therivertownpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/flag.jpg

Have a God-blessed Flag Day!

Longbow said...

But, the VAST MAJORITY of cops are super-duper good guys who would never practice highway robbery... really!

Right?

Anonymous said...

What we have here is failure to communicate!

And now, for something completely different!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdKa9bXVinE

Anonymous said...

Talk about a case of pissing down our backs and trying to convince us it is raining!

The maker of the machine gets 7.7 percent.

Redflex, the red light camera maker, gets a hefty percentage of red light ticket fines, too.

Anonymous said...

Not that I have been stopped all that often in 45+ years of driving but I have never been asked if I have a credit card. What possible pretext would suffice for 'probable cause' to even merit that question coming up? There has to be something more going on................

Anonymous said...

Thank you Gene, my thoughts exactly.

Anonymous said...

“If we didn’t have this technology … we would lose out on the ability to help people that live and work here, or the people passing through here,” Thompson said."

What he really said- If we didn't have these geek toys, we would lose out on making our fleecing the peasants easier. We'll hit the peasants passing through even harder because damn it, we need the money!

skybill said...

Hi Mike and Matt,
This is better comedy than an "OLD" Woody Allen Movie!! eg: "What's New Pussycat!!!" Hell, that was before the Viet Nam war was in full swing!!!! I wonder who writes their lines?? 'Has to be from Hollywierd !!
Audentes, Fortuna, Juvat!!,
III%,
skybill-out

Sean said...

Relax, folks. All one has to do is have a mailing address to where you are going, take a little cash for the trip, mail the card to the forward address, and pick it up when you get there. Or even send it UPS, or Fedex. The cards are also easily and effectively hidden. And if you're not stopped, you can pre-place cards for your next trip. Plan it out, and you can beat the fuzz, or whoever.

Elmo said...

Reply to Sean-
The question is; Why should a law abiding American citizen 'relax' and have to go through all that when what these agencies are doing is clearly and flagrantly unconstitutional?

Anonymous said...

It used to be that you couldn't carry "too much" cash.
Has it come to it now that you cannot carry a card with "too much" of a balance or "too much" of a line of credit?

For crying out loud, what is it going to take for Americans to open their eyes?

It is almost like "LEO" is coming up with an idea that "nobody" would possibly even try to justify to see who will go ahead and make the case why it is "necessary".

These are the things wars are made of, Civil Wars.

Oregon Hobo said...

Just so we're clear on this point:

I have some decades of IT experience in my history, including employment at a couple of banks. I can tell you that yes, a prepaid debit card uses exactly the same protocols over the same ATM networks that are linked to your standard debit and credit cards. If it's really true that the peace officers using that card scanner can't just as easily pull money from any of your other ATM-linked cards, it's only because someone added a few lines of code to check and disable functionality for those cards.

Software modification doesn't get much easier than commenting out a few lines of code. This is your McRib test. Watch for the upgraded version to come out soon.

Happy trails,

#OREGON HOBO#