[Vacancier Permanent]

Atlantic,
This is exactly what's happened. I'm not holding back anything. What I wrote on my initial post in this thread is exactly how it all went out.

I think she realized I had no info on my FB about school or u I or work and not many people, most of which are irrelevant contacts save 2-3 guys. My guy feeling is she nextee me as she realized she couldn't get any leverage on me and moved onto a bigger fish, that is the proverbial middle aged beta who gave her his real FB with all his real,life contacts. That's the kind of guys who are in real trouble and who these scammers are after.

Also, another thing I remember is that once I realized what was going on, I immediately un friended her. She insisted a few times that friend her back ASAP which of course I ignored.

Plus I haven't heard anything from those contacts on that FB account about receiving anything scandalous about me.

[Atlantic]

Haha Im only joking with ya buddy.

I find this funny cause Ive could easily have got caught out on this. I have had online 'sex' with girls before I have met up with them. Im sure quite a few guys who use online game have. Some I banged in real life after and some I didn't. Its a very sly trick.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Yeah we gotta be careful specially when getting kinky with girls on Skype. Maybe I should wear one of those Mexican lucha libre masks or a hockey goalie mask when engaging in future sex cam sessions with girls? ahahah

[Hamsterchoker]

This reminds me of conversation I had with a Pinay scammer from DIA.
I present you: Scammer meets Troll.
(Names edited out)


[7/25/2014 8:20:30 PM] Me: How are you affected?
[7/25/2014 8:22:03 PM] Scammer: All my things wet and im sad coz I lost job last month. .now owner of room I rent kick me away no pay tge rent
[7/25/2014 8:23:05 PM] Me: so you want to live with me in XXX or something? Lol
[7/25/2014 8:23:40 PM] Scammer: Yes I really want
[7/25/2014 8:24:07 PM] Scammer: But my love owner want to kick my her e so so soon
[7/25/2014 8:25:12 PM] Me: then again, only a girl who is my gf can stay with me
[7/25/2014 8:25:48 PM] Scammer: I well my love I can comment
[7/25/2014 8:26:47 PM] Me: but I am single right now
[7/25/2014 8:26:56 PM] Scammer: I am too
[7/25/2014 8:27:50 PM] Me: well, we have something in common
[7/25/2014 8:29:40 PM] Me: are you looking for a bf to move in with?
[7/25/2014 8:30:06 PM] Scammer: Yes for I care love and give kiss forever
[7/25/2014 8:34:42 PM] Me: perhaps you will get your chance to kiss me at the airport
[7/25/2014 8:37:54 PM] Scammer: More hun..but I hope you help me to stay here wsiting for you
[7/25/2014 8:38:26 PM] Scammer: Can you help me to pay my room to stay while waiting for you
[7/25/2014 8:39:47 PM] Me: sorry hun, but I need to meet you in person first
[7/25/2014 8:51:40 PM] Me: Honey?
[7/25/2014 8:52:26 PM] Scammer: Yes
[7/25/2014 8:52:42 PM] Me: wait for me, ok?
[7/25/2014 8:53:14 PM] Scammer: I told you I not force yoi to help but my situation now is bad
[7/25/2014 8:54:04 PM] Scammer: If I cant pay room you cant contact me anymore coz I go province
[7/25/2014 8:54:43 PM] Me: entice me
[7/25/2014 8:55:17 PM] Scammer: What?
[7/25/2014 8:56:35 PM] Me: I want to see more pictures of you
[7/25/2014 8:57:36 PM] *** Scammer sent IMG_18938531207867.jpeg ***
[7/25/2014 8:57:52 PM] *** Scammer sent IMG_18693382132083.jpeg ***
[7/25/2014 8:58:53 PM] Scammer: Accept
[7/25/2014 9:03:21 PM] Me: can't see it...
[7/25/2014 9:04:40 PM] Scammer: Accept it
[7/25/2014 9:05:38 PM] Me: couldn't
[7/25/2014 9:21:49 PM] Scammer: I try again
[7/25/2014 9:22:06 PM] *** Scammer sent IMG_18938531207867.jpeg ***
[7/25/2014 9:22:12 PM] Scammer: Now
[7/25/2014 10:47:13 PM] Me: still cannot see it
[7/25/2014 10:53:38 PM] *** Missed call from Scammer. ***
[7/25/2014 11:02:50 PM] Me: Did you call me?
[7/25/2014 11:03:04 PM] Scammer: Yes
[7/25/2014 11:03:21 PM] *** Call from Scammer ***
[7/25/2014 11:03:45 PM] Me: Sorry, can't skype chat right now
[7/25/2014 11:03:48 PM] *** Call from Scammer ***
[7/25/2014 11:04:02 PM] Scammer: Ok
[7/25/2014 11:04:04 PM] Scammer: Sorry
[7/25/2014 11:04:37 PM] Me: Did you want to cam chat?
[7/26/2014 12:25:13 AM] Scammer: Yes
[7/26/2014 12:27:47 AM] Erich: I don't have a microphone on my computer right now.
[7/26/2014 4:21:06 AM] Scammer: Hi
[7/26/2014 5:08:36 AM] Me: what would you do for your loved one?
[7/26/2014 5:09:26 AM] Scammer: Need your help
[7/26/2014 5:10:45 AM] Me: I don't know if I love you yet
[7/26/2014 5:22:50 AM] Me: why should I love you?
[7/26/2014 5:24:02 AM] Scammer: Coz I give myself and life
[7/26/2014 5:25:05 AM] Me: how would you please your loved one, how would you please me?
[7/26/2014 5:28:25 AM] Me: Show me that you care by getting to know me, then I will see what I can do
[7/27/2014 10:54:39 PM] Me: show me Scammer
[7/27/2014 10:54:55 PM] Scammer: Why
[7/27/2014 10:55:23 PM] Me: honey
[7/27/2014 10:56:32 PM] Scammer: Yes
[7/27/2014 10:57:01 PM] *** Missed call from Scammer. ***
[7/27/2014 10:57:03 PM] Scammer: Im calling you
[7/27/2014 10:57:47 PM] Me: I am not feeling the love
[7/27/2014 10:59:11 PM] Scammer:
Ok
[7/27/2014 11:05:26 PM] Me: you have to show the love before asking
[7/27/2014 11:05:48 PM] Scammer: Ok
[7/27/2014 11:21:26 PM] Me: do it
[7/29/2014 11:40:51 PM] Me: Just wondering. Would you sleep with me for the money?
[7/30/2014 12:01:44 AM] Scammer: No but god know I really need money
[7/30/2014 12:02:31 AM] Me: how about just webcam sex?
[7/30/2014 12:04:25 AM] Scammer: Sure but I need prove first
[7/30/2014 12:04:37 AM] Scammer: If you like that
[7/30/2014 12:05:08 AM] Me: Do you know how to do it?
[7/30/2014 12:49:27 AM] Me: well?
[7/30/2014 12:55:53 AM] Me: we can make a deal
[7/30/2014 1:35:15 AM] Scammer: How
[7/30/2014 1:36:02 AM] Me: But first, do you even know what webcam sex is?
[7/30/2014 1:37:19 AM] Scammer: I well do my best to make sure you satisfied
[7/30/2014 1:37:54 AM] Me: Actually, I will just watch you
[7/30/2014 1:39:10 AM] Scammer: Ok
[7/30/2014 1:39:18 AM] Me: Do you masturbate?
[7/30/2014 1:39:37 AM] Scammer: But I not show naked if I not receive any help
[7/30/2014 1:39:49 AM] Scammer: I well do everything
[7/30/2014 1:40:03 AM] Me: Do you know how to masturbate though?
[7/30/2014 1:40:17 AM] Scammer: Yes
[7/30/2014 1:40:30 AM] Me: do you usually do it?
[7/30/2014 1:41:18 AM] Scammer: Yes ones
[7/30/2014 1:41:55 AM] Me: how often?
[7/30/2014 1:42:30 AM] Scammer: Many times
[7/30/2014 1:44:28 AM] Me: do you have toys?
[7/30/2014 1:53:31 AM] Scammer: No want to buy
[7/30/2014 1:53:40 AM] Scammer: Can you help me to buy toys
[7/30/2014 1:54:50 AM] Me: Only if you let me watch you use them
[7/30/2014 1:55:25 AM] Scammer: Yes that's why I ask coz I use it when I play in cam to you
[7/30/2014 1:56:14 AM] Me: How many times a week do you usually masturbate?
[7/30/2014 2:03:45 AM] Scammer: Twice
[7/30/2014 2:05:27 AM] Me: so you usually just do it with your fingers right now?
[7/30/2014 2:06:26 AM] Scammer: I need prove that you help
[7/30/2014 2:06:42 AM] Scammer: If you want to see me do it help me
[7/30/2014 2:10:00 AM] Me: What kind of proof?
[7/30/2014 2:10:52 AM] Scammer: Help me to buy rice and toys to show you
[7/30/2014 2:12:53 AM] Me: Are you a real person? Can I see you on cam for 10 seconds?
[7/30/2014 2:13:19 AM] Scammer: Im not a alien
[7/30/2014 2:13:23 AM] Scammer: Call me
[7/30/2014 2:13:34 AM] *** Call to Scammer, busy. ***
[7/30/2014 2:13:55 AM] Scammer: Again
[7/30/2014 2:14:00 AM] *** Call to Scammer ***
[7/30/2014 2:14:45 AM] Erich: Sorry, microphone is not working
[7/30/2014 2:14:50 AM] Scammer: Plz
[7/30/2014 2:15:00 AM] *** Call ended, duration 00:56 ***
[7/30/2014 2:15:13 AM] Me: What kind of toys?
[7/30/2014 2:18:15 AM] Scammer: Toys that I can play
[7/30/2014 2:18:20 AM] Scammer: Plz
[7/30/2014 2:21:06 AM] Me: well?
[7/30/2014 2:30:49 AM] Me: I will do it
[7/30/2014 2:31:38 AM] Scammer: Toysi need to play here
[7/30/2014 2:31:54 AM] Scammer: And I need to buy rice too
[7/30/2014 2:35:08 AM] Me: How about this?
[7/30/2014 2:35:09 AM] Me: http://cdn.adultvibetoys.com/images/imag...e7b05a2ecf
[7/30/2014 2:36:07 AM] Scammer: Yes
[7/30/2014 2:36:15 AM] Scammer: Thats what I like
[7/30/2014 2:36:25 AM] Scammer: Plzz hamsterchoker
[7/30/2014 2:39:51 AM] Me: How about this, I buy you one toy and watch you masturbate. If I like it, I buy you rice and another toy. And every time you satified me enough, I will buy you a new toy?
[7/30/2014 2:47:25 AM] Me: Or do you prefer this to start with?
[7/30/2014 2:47:27 AM] Me: http://www.brookstone.com/webassets/prod...68487p.jpg
[7/30/2014 2:53:46 AM] Me: choose
[7/30/2014 3:24:05 AM] Scammer: I love the first one
[7/30/2014 3:24:31 AM] Scammer: Plz include the rife first coz I don't have food to eat here
[7/30/2014 3:26:17 AM] Me: How about I buy you rice, then you show me how you masturbate with your fingers. Then I buy you toys
[7/30/2014 3:48:59 AM] Scammer: Ok I well do it but need to send first
[7/30/2014 3:51:10 AM] Me: send you a bag of rice?
[7/30/2014 3:51:22 AM] Scammer: I well buy here
[7/30/2014 3:51:45 AM] Me: I can order a bag and send it to you
[7/30/2014 3:52:50 AM] Me: Although I really prefer to send you that big dildo instead and watch your hairy pussy rides it
[7/30/2014 3:53:26 AM] Scammer: That payment that you pat there to send is same that you send me amount to buy rice at least it very fast that I can eat good
[7/30/2014 3:53:49 AM] Scammer: I have id to receive transfer
[7/30/2014 3:54:48 AM] Me: I will have no idea if you use it to buy rice or to buy drug
[7/30/2014 3:55:51 AM] Scammer: I never use drug
[7/30/2014 3:56:19 AM] Scammer: My parents raise me good never that use since I was alive
[7/30/2014 3:56:34 AM] Scammer: I really need rice and noddles
[7/30/2014 3:57:03 AM] Scammer: So if you not help its ok I just want to tell you honestly
[7/30/2014 3:57:35 AM] Me: I buy you rice and toys, not give you money, ok
[7/30/2014 3:59:45 AM] Scammer: I think if the rice come I already die in hungry
[7/30/2014 4:00:12 AM] Scammer: I need little amount only for rice
[7/30/2014 4:07:42 AM] Me: I have no bank account in the Philippines. I can order rice online and have it sent to your pice
[7/30/2014 4:07:47 AM] Me: place
[7/30/2014 4:20:30 AM] Scammer: You can send in western union
[7/30/2014 4:20:46 AM] Scammer: So I can get here near in me
[7/30/2014 4:26:32 AM] Me: 50php?
[7/30/2014 4:26:56 AM] Scammer: What
[7/30/2014 4:27:06 AM] Scammer: That only a half
[7/30/2014 4:27:09 AM] Scammer: Rice
[7/30/2014 4:32:24 AM] Me: why does it take so much work just to watch you masturbate? I meant, you do it frequently, might as well share it

[JayJuanGee]

That does NOT seem like a scam on the blackmailer level, HamsterChoker, it merely seems like a poor girl trying to get some money... which seems to be quite common.

[Hamsterchoker]

To me, any attempt to get money from a man you haven't met is scam. She's starving and wants me to buy her a sex toy? Come on.

[JayJuanGee]

(08-01-2014 05:45 AM)Hamsterchoker Wrote:  

To me, any attempt to get money from a man you haven't met is scam. She's starving and wants me to buy her a sex toy? Come on.

Come on what?

I am merely suggesting that the level of coercion contained in your clip is hardly unusual... on the other hand, maybe engaging in such interactions will lead to more and more desperate attempts from such a girl. I hardly would blame or get involved with girls who want to get money from me before I met them... let them go their way, and I will go mine.. and in any event the interaction does NOT seem coercive and you seem to be egging her on in various ways..

She is NOT threatening you but begging you for money... .. and using whatever means is at her disposal to get you to voluntarily give up some dough....

It is hardly worth getting into any kind of battle about whether she is a good girl or NOT or whether she has bad intentions or whether she is merely desperate for money and in that clip, you seem to be playing along to find out her conditions or what she is willing to do and for what.

In the end, to me, your interaction does NOT seem to be of the same category referred to by OP... unless OP wants to agree that your interaction was of a similar category.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Jay,
You're right that this is no where near what I experienced. This is innocent kids play in comparison. There are a lot of girls on these dating sites just hustling day and night money from foreigners. Some might be really desperate but most are just lazy leeches. If a girl is really starving or their baby needs food or milk, they would not waste time chatting to strangers online but rather go out and find a way to earn that money in an honest way. Even if that means working the bars or becoming a prosti. I have more respect for a prosti doing what she does to help her family and or kid than these lazy leeches hustling money online.

Do not ever send money to a girl you have not met yet, no matter what her situation is and no matter how hot looks or is!

Last night while chatting with this pretty girl from Manila, I got the most original yet soft money request ever! I may or may not post it here as it's not a scam but a genius way of soft selling. I was that impressed positively!

[JayJuanGee]

(08-01-2014 02:04 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  

Jay,
You're right that this is no where near what I experienced. This is innocent kids play in comparison. There are a lot of girls on these dating sites just hustling day and night money from foreigners. Some might be really desperate but most are just lazy leeches. If a girl is really starving or their baby needs food or milk, they would not waste time chatting to strangers online but rather go out and find a way to earn that money in an honest way. Even if that means working the bars or becoming a prosti. I have more respect for a prosti doing what she does to help her family and or kid than these lazy leeches hustling money online.

Do not ever send money to a girl you have not met yet, no matter what her situation is and no matter how hot looks or is!

Last night while chatting with this pretty girl from Manila, I got the most original yet soft money request ever! I may or may not post it here as it's not a scam but a genius way of soft selling. I was that impressed positively!

We should be able to tell the difference between "soft selling" and some forms of blackmail.

Sometimes the lines may blurr regarding how hardball the girl is playing or how much the guy is egging her on or the level of her "genius" in devising or creating her scheme or even the extent to which there may be other revenue generating avenues available to her.

[Tough lucky Luke]

I actually have a (beautiful) former Filipina girlfriend, who sent me pics of her, pics where it was obvious that she had become very thin, she looks starved... I think it is to make me understand that I REALLY need to send her (more) money, urgently... Would that qualify as a scam though? I don't think so... Philippines really are a special country... Beautiful (the land, nature, beaches...) and full of opportunities (women, tourism), but far from the First World in many many ways.

[Nascimento]

Sorry to hear that you had to go through with this, VP.

Hopefully it didn't hurt you too bad afterwards. I just read the OP.

I think this should also serve as a reminder that pipelining is only a tool and something you should not rely on. Besides taking precautions already mentioned, we shouldn't invest so much into pipelining girls before/after we arrive.

Pipelining is fun and helpful and maybe even essential to an extent, but it should only be a tool I believe.

Besides, the quality around you once you do land is higher and more numerous than anything you will find online.

[scotian]

VP for a guy who just got to the oil sands, you seem to have a lot of time on your hands, more working, less jerking VP!!!

[rvlefty]

There are also programs which can feed prerecorded video into your webcam. So the feed from "her" end could just be prerecorded/stolen and played back by a fat scammer/dude later... they wouldn't even need to be in the Phils.

[lurker]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this so far, but she gets absolutely nothing from actually following through with her threat. If anything, she loses from doing so - guys getting embarrassed or publicly shamed from engaging in Filipina Skype sex threatens the industry, especially when there are so many free substitute goods online.

Her only play is to bluff. It doesn't matter whether she has your real name or not - only the threat of a bad social outcome gives her any leverage. The actual bad outcome doesn't. If you laugh at her and tell her to go ahead, she has no recourse, and her best move is to leave you alone and fade away.

[The Wire]

Really you're best bet is just "disappear" in these situations. You unfriend her, delete facebook, delete all pics that are search able...etc(like you did).

If you break off all contact it doesn't make much sense for me for them to go ahead and try to actually send the video to people you know. Really what does that get them, you're sure as hell aren't going to pay them money then.


Pretty good scam by them I must say. If they can get a VP of a decent size company thats where the money is at.

[DirectDanger]

Philippines Makes Arrests in Online Extortion Ring

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireSto...g-25080574

Quote:

Philippine police have arrested eight suspected members of an online syndicate accused of blackmailing more than 1,000 Hong Kong and Singapore residents after luring them into exposing themselves in front of webcam, an official said Friday.

The raid on the syndicate's locations in northern Bulacan province on Thursday was a follow-up to an operation backed by Interpol in April in which 58 Filipinos were arrested, and another 100 linked to the extortion in a subsequent investigation in May. The victims came from all over the world, including a Scottish teenager who committed suicide after being blackmailed.

Five Filipino teenagers employed as "chatters" who befriended victims through social media sites including Facebook were turned over to social workers, said the head of the police anti-cybercrime group, Gilbert Sosa.

Victims would be lured into cybersex on Skype, recorded and a video link sent to their Facebook accounts unless they paid at least $3,000, he said.

The gang has victimized around 700 Hong Kong residents and nearly the same number of Singaporeans in a span of two years, he added. The latest police operation was conducted in cooperation with Interpol based in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Among those arrested was a suspected ring leader. Investigators found out that the woman's daughter owns two money transfer branches in Bulacan where the victims were asked to deposit their payment, Sosa said. The suspects are facing charges of robbery with extortion and violation of the anti-human trafficking law.

The crackdown in the Philippines was partly sparked by information that a 17-year-old mechanic in Scotland, Daniel Perry, took his own life in July last year after being victimized by a Filipino extortion group. The BBC has reported that he killed himself after being warned that his video conversations would be circulated to his friends and family if he didn't pay.

Three of the 58 Filipino suspects arrested in April were believed to have victimized Perry, who jumped off a bridge after being blackmailed, police said.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Happy to hear that these scums have been arrested. But I'm sure they are not the only ones.
What we need to learn from this is to never give your real FB account to girls you're chatting with online. Have a fake one with next to no info, maybe 1 pic and that's it.

Update on my incident with these scums: haven't heard back from them at all and the link to the video of me they recorded is down.

Btw, how do I change my security settings so that people on my FB cannot see other people on my FB in the Friends section? Is that possible?

[ZayanZaken]

My fake FB page friends cannot see each other. It can be done. In addition, photos can be opened to specific friends only, so you can choose who you share your profile pics with. I know that your friends' friends may see your name as a suggested friend to add, but I don't see that as a security issue. (I sure hope that I used the word friend a sufficient number of times in the last sentence.)

To adjust those privacy settings, on the right end of the blue Facebook ribbon, the fourth icon (almost all the way to the right) is a lock. Click it and it says: Privacy Shortcuts. You should be able to navigate to what you want from there.

[Deepdiver]

VP et.al. Good heads up info on this web cam scam - I do a lot of interweb cyber security work and a few things to keep in mind...

1. Remember that Facebook social network pioneered the concept of the Social Graph and no privacy allowed - even if they give you privacy controls to make you feel like you have some false sense of control ...their social graph knows all and the PI whack hackers can probe and prod til the Social Graph pukes up the goods (Social Graph connections)...

For example my real FB persona keeps getting asked if I want to connect with my fake FB persona ... WTF wake up call time the Social Graph knows all about you... and you and you again...

2. PI Organized Crime street gangs are run from the Bosses in PI prisons - they will be looking for scam operators in their hoods and making them offers they can't refuse... natural progression follow your FB posts about your next I&I run to the PI and throw some of the hotter gang owned hookers er um damsels in distress at you - slip you one of the local high octane drinks/knock out drugs and rob you blind basically take anything of value from you in your Room - these bosses are already in prison so interpol and hotel security are nothing to them.

3. Gangs will hunt down where you live in the USA (or insert your country here) and from facebook find out you are on a PI I&I run for 2 to 4 weeks - they can take their good sweet time pulling up in a cable TV or Plumbers or Moving and Storage or unmarked white van and empty you out like a Green Card Girl on crack...

Summary the FB Social Graph follows EVERYTHING you do on the Inet unless you are using something like the TOR Browser and TOR net to stealth your business...

And of course the new CERN Proton mail oops Did PayPal really ask if it is legal to encrypt your emails in the USA and blocked ProtonMail subscription payments - no wonder Roosh has gone full on Expat...

The Only Email System the NSA Can't Access
By Ted Baumann, Offshore and Asset Protection Editor
Dear Sovereign Investor,
It's been a busy month on the privacy front.
On August 5, word got out that Russian hackers stole 1.2 billion user names and passwords for a wide variety of websites. Facebook got into hot water — again — over its decision to force its risky Messenger app on unwilling users. A U.S. senator warned that users of wearable fitness-tracking devices are at serious privacy risk and unprotected by any law. The European Union is poised to take steps to counter a U.S. court's order that Microsoft hand over the contents of its Irish servers.

Meanwhile, hackers and snoops gathered last week at their annual Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, plotting how to beat our best security efforts.

I was also a busy bee. I decided to start using a secure password-generation and management software, called Dashlane, which works across multiple devices. It was getting to the point where I had so many passwords to remember that it was seriously cutting into my productivity.

And I was at risk, because the natural tendency when you have a lot of passwords to remember is to re-use them on multiple sites. That's a BAD idea.

But I also did something I've been doing every week for months now … checking to see whether I had been accepted by the world's most secure email service, ProtonMail.

When Edward Snowden's revelations broke last year, it sent shockwaves through CERN, a particle physics laboratory in Switzerland. A young MIT PhD student working there expressed concern, and soon 40 of the smartest physicists and computer programmers on the planet were pooling their knowledge to found ProtonMail, a Gmail-like email system which uses end-to-end encryption, making it impossible for outside parties to monitor messages sent back and forth.

These are the guys and gals who discovered the Higgs Boson. They are Einstein-level smart. Unlike all other encrypted email services, ProtonMail separates the encrypted message from its encryption key. All the encryption takes place on your computer and the receiver's computer. Neither message nor key are stored on ProtonMail's servers, so there's no way for government to get their hands on them, even with a court order.

But that still wasn't secure enough for this group. ProtonMail decided to go the extra mile to ensure absolute security. They placed all their servers in Switzerland, which has some of the world's toughest privacy laws. That's why I'm on a waiting list — demand for ProtonMail is so high that there aren't enough available servers in Switzerland to accommodate it. But the group is currently raising money to build more.

ProtonMail's founders clearly understand that security and privacy is about more than encryption — the decision to base their service in Switzerland demonstrates that they get the politics part, too.

But politics has a way of resisting evasion.
The Government's Fight Against Your Right to Privacy
In June, PayPal — the same U.S. money-transfer company that blocked contributions to Julian Assange's WikiLeaks at the U.S. government's behest — froze ProtonMail's funds and blocked all further contributions, without notice or explanation. ProtonMail's two-week "crowdfunding" campaign had set a target of $100,000, but collected more than $300,000 in a few hours.

Why would PayPal do such a thing? Andy Chen, the MIT PhD student who dreamed up ProtonMail, explained that, "When we pressed the PayPal representative on the phone for further details, he questioned whether ProtonMail is legal and if we have government approval to encrypt emails."

That was a seriously stupid answer on PayPal's part. It just reinforces the fact that American tech companies are increasingly an extension of the U.S. government, and so cannot be trusted with anyone's business. Because it's a voluntary step by PayPal, it's much worse than a federal court's order that Microsoft unwillingly turn over the contents of its Irish servers.