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From / Date: |
Question / Answer: |
| 5525. |
Alex
Ferndale, Michigan
Age: 41
Mar 3, 2009
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Problem Email
An ex-client of mine was convicted of a 2005 threat against a federal employee in another state last year. It resulted in a federal building being shut down for possible contamination. This person has not been a client for many years and I have had no contact with them since 2004. I do not want ANY affiliation with them at all. Last night the ex-client sent me an email. I do not want to open this email and was wondering how to get it off my computer. Just delete it? Any suggestions?
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I assume you are an attorney, and wish to avoid having the e-mail show up even if your e-mail records are subpoenaed, correct? ... If so, this is a tough one. The e-mail still resides on your IP's server. Perhaps some kind reader can help you with the immediate problem, which will involve more than just hitting the delete button.
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| 5524. |
Seth
Collbran, co
Age: 50
Mar 2, 2009
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Court: self-incrimination privilege won't protect password
This ruling is certain to be appealed, and will likely be overturned.
The simple fact is that the government cannot compel you to say or do anything that might incriminate you. They can't compel you to speak AT ALL, EVER, and they can't compel you to perform some action based on guilty knowledge that would produce incriminating evidence.
What this judge is ruling is equivalent to saying that if a drug smuggler has a locked safe in his trunk that the police can compel him to open it merely because a drug dog has detected the scent. They cannot, and the defendant can refuse to assist them. It then becomes the government's problem to break into the safe to obtain the evidence if they have a warrant.
Encrypted computer files are the same sort of thing. Only your testimony, in the form of giving them the password, either verbally or by typing it, would reveal incriminating evidence, and they cannot compel you to tell them where, or what, or how to find the evidence they want to use to convict you is. That's their problem.
In this case, they appear to be wanting to search the hard drive to find more evidence, probably including email links to other pedophiles, but since that information can be used to stack charges, unless they offer him immunity from prosecution for anything and everything that might be on the hard drive, he doesn't have to help them.
The important consideration here is what is the penalty for refusing to cooperate versus what the penalty is if some incriminating evidence is found. For most people, it's not a matter of criminal behavior, it's a desire for privacy, so it wouldn't be worth spending time in jail on contempt charges, but for child pornography, the added sentence could be substantial, so it's probably worth it to withhold the password.
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| 5522. |
Michael
London, UK
Age: 40
Mar 2, 2009
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RFID chips In PP/CC/DL...
I use DIFRWear products for blocking this as we Brits already have RFID passports and some credit cards are now wireless too. They accept cash by mail in payment for your order.
Submitted Link #1: http://www.difrwear.com/purchase.shtml...
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| 5520. |
John
Midland, TX
Age: 40
Mar 2, 2009
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Court: self-incrimination privilege won't protect password
Thought some might find this of interest.
The privilege against self-incrimination, a federal court has ruled, does not bar prosecutors from forcing a defendant in a child pornography case to decrypt his laptop hard drive—reversing a 2007 decision that found the demand to enter a password equivalent to compelled testimony.
Submitted Link #1: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/03/co...
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| 5515. |
Hector
Naples, FL
Age: 50
Mar 1, 2009
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TrapCall
SERVICE UNMASKS BLOCKED CALLER ID TELEPHONES
“TrapCall” offers a service to unblock blocked caller ID information. When a cell phone with the TrapCall service employed receives a call from a phone with a locked phone number, the service unblocks the phone number and caller ID information of the blocked phone number.
Submitted Link #1: http://www.trapcall.com/...
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| 5514. |
Larry
Solvang CA
Age: 45
Mar 1, 2009
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Tax Privacy
I work from home. I've been doing my own taxes for over 20 years. I'm one of those people who can sit down with a cup of tea and read through the instructions to the 1040 or any other form, to find the answers I'm looking for. I check out the "What's New" section at the very beginning of the 1040 instructions - every year. Never an audit. I go through the 1040 line by line, and follow the instructions to the letter - filling in the number or going to the form it tells me to - and on to any additional forms required. I flip back and forth between the forms and their specific instructions, until I reach a form that doesn't tell me to go further. At that point I know I'm done with that form, which really means I'm done with that line on the 1040.I don't deduct anything for a home office because it's a big gray area, so I expect the IRS to change the rules frequently. I don't feel like keeping up with the rules, or wondering if I've got them right. I download all forms and instructions from the IRS website, and use the free adobe program to type in all my information, except my name, address, ss# and bank account number - for a refund. I print the finished forms then hand write the sensitive stuff onto the forms. I snail mail it, certified, to the IRS.
I have never given the IRS the address of a home I owned at the time I filed the return. No problems ever. I only give them the address of past homes I have owned, to claim a capital gains exemption or deduction for a loss. I put the address on schedule D, part 2, under property description. I do this the year after the sale. I don't deduct anything unless I have the original receipt or the closing documents showing the numbers. Never an audit. Never a problem. If I was audited, I would bring all my receipts, and whip out my 1040 instruction booklet for the year their interested in. I would spend my time with the auditor showing him my receipts and reading him his own booklet. I would not answer any questions beyond the issue listed in the audit. I am not an expert on audits, though, because I've never had one.
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| 5513. |
Seth
collbran, co
Age: 50
Mar 1, 2009
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Enhanced Drivers Licenses
There is also a metal mesh lined pouch and wallet available at some travel stores that will defeat the RFID chip by sealing it in the miniature equivalent of a Faraday Cage, thus preventing any RF query of the chip.
If there are any electrical engineers out there, I would like to discuss a private project with one for a potential product to solve this problem.
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| 5512. |
Dorothy
Topeka, KS
Age: 40
Mar 1, 2009
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RFID chips in Driver's Licenses
Wouldn't the RFID chip in a passport accomplish the same thing? You say (and I believe you) that one shouldn't carry their driver's license as identification. I understand that the passport is superior in this respect because it doesn't give your home address right on the card. I've got that... The problem is that a person walking through the crowd (as referenced in the article linked in the earlier post by somebody else) could ALSO pick up the RFID chip in the newer passports. That leaves almost everybody who carries a passport instead of a driver's license for ID vulnerable as well. Even those of y'all whose passports were issued prior to RFID chips will eventually have to replace them.... At what point will it cause even more questions to be one of the people in the crowd whose passport or driver's license doesn't "beep" while the security guy is walking through the crowd? Not that I'm paranoid.... LOL!
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There is seldom any reason to carry a passport. Since you always pay cash, it may be needed only when you wish to cash a check or travel by air and/or stay in a hotel or motel.For those of you even more paranoid than your humble servant, wrap your passport in tin foil.
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| 5511. |
Steve
Michigan
Age: 47
Mar 1, 2009
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NM LLC owning another LLC
Mr. Luna,
Can a New Mexico LLC own an LLC in another state that transacts business? I own several rental houses in an LLC, but wish improved privacy. Will a New Mexico LLC owning my in-state LLC help? Are there any down sides to doing this? I need to finance my properties, so I quit claim deed the properties into my LLC after purchase. (Financing through the LLC is more expensive.) I realize this does leave a trail, but you have stated in the past the transferring later is still a good idea.
Love your book. Keep up the great work.
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Yes, an NM LLC can own another, anywhere. However, in the field of asset protection, I prefer that you get expert help--especially since you are using mortgages. Your best protection, as always, will be insurance.
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| 5509. |
Sarah
Casper, WY
Age: 50
Feb 28, 2009
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Enhanced Drivers Licenses
Just when you thought the REAL ID act had gone away....here is a "new" version that should scare you to death.....link below.
Submitted Link #1: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.vie...
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Remember, Sarah, that there is no need to carry your driver's license. Since it is only to show a cop if he pulls you over, leave it hidden in your car. (As always, carry your passport if you anticipate you are going need some ID.)
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| 5508. |
Paul
Minneapolis MN
Age: 54
Feb 28, 2009
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Re: #5505, Paul
Jack's e-book Invisible Money already has the advice that will help minimize this risk: Open your nominee account in another state, and at a smaller bank.
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| 5507. |
Marc
Burlingame, CA
Age: 44
Feb 28, 2009
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Facial recognition
Current state of commercially available computer facial recognition. You can assume that if you are willing to spend more money you can get much better results.
Submitted Link #1: http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/22234/?a...
...
Here's one of the scary parts:
"But what's really unsettling about Google's service is that it doesn't just stop at your friends. Before you know it, Google is asking you to identify all those other faces in your photographs--the people standing in the background, the faces in the crowds, even the faces on posters ..."
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| 5506. |
Harold
Atlanta, GA
Age: 55
Feb 28, 2009
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Consulting in Las Vegas?
Dear Mr. Luna,
- A friend where I work says he heard about a discount on a consultation with you, provided it was a certain date and in Vegas.
- He can't remember the date or details, so if the date has not already passed, could you post the details, please?
...
No, and I can't contact you privately because you failed to leave an e-mail address. If you send me an e-mail, be sure to tell me exactly what you hope to accomplish because I turn down any request where I think I cannot be of any serious help.
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| 5505. |
Paul
Orlando, FL
Age: 48
Feb 28, 2009
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Nominee Death
I have researched prior posts and have not found an answer to this question.If you have a nominee open a bank account for you, and that nominee later dies (as I'm told we all eventually will,) won't that account be frozen as soon as the bank finds out? Then your money will be part of your nominee's estate, unless the nominee is not a U.S. citizen. Is the answer to electronically transfer funds to that account only as needed, so no excess cash is there on that mournful day?
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Don't keep too much cash in the nominee's account if you are worried about his or her health. Normally you would cash a check for close to the balance, once you heard of a serious accident or illness. Otherwise, don't keep any more in the account than you can afford to lose. (I suggest keeping the balance under $10,000.)
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| 5502. |
Dorothy
Topeka, KS
Age: 40
Feb 28, 2009
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alibi-baby
Mike, I'm pretty sure this was discussed awhile back. Somebody had an Ebay auction with something similar, and I have a vague memory of Jack offering something like that through Canary Islands briefly. As for using it for more than a practical joke, I wouldn't recommend that at all! There are too many ways to be found out - like a mutual friend seeing you in person by chance meeting on the date of the postmark, except NOT in Europe, but rather at the grocery store or the car wash or the movie or the mall or the doctor's office...
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| 5501. |
Dorothy
Topeka, KS
Age: 40
Feb 28, 2009
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Lisa, missing child
Are the police treating this as a non-custodial parental abduction? If so, then keep going up the police station hierarchy until you find someone who will agree to tracking him down that way. If not, you might need to explain to them that your ex- getting your daughter to a place of safety was okay for a few hours, but now it's not okay, it's a violation of your custody agreement. In the future, when you get your daughter back, if your ex-husband ever gets visitation again, supply your daughter with her own cell phone secretly. Because it will be YOUR cell phone, you will have the legal right to call up the cell carrier yourself and ask for location tracking on the phone. Plus, she will be able to reach you without having to ask permission first. Best wishes on her speedy and safe return.
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| 5500. |
Mike
Portland, OR
Age: 47
Feb 28, 2009
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Alibi (for fun)
I found this website, used them and it worked fine. Obviously its intention is for fun but could there be other uses for it...?
Submitted Link #1: http://alibibaby.weebly.com/index.html...
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| 5499. |
Drake
LA, CA
Age: 34
Feb 27, 2009
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Concerned Mom - cell phone ping
The cell phone can probably be located. The police have their hands tied. A PI would be your best bet, but they would need to verify this information and a good one would probably require you to fill out paperwork, and fork out a fair chunk of change before locating the child or the ex-husband.
Is the phone still active? You might save yourself some money by calling it. If you have a lawyer, maybe they should call the cell phone.
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| 5498. |
Lisa
Houston, Texas
Age: 38
Feb 27, 2009
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Trace a cell phone
My ex husband had some very serious crimes at his home on Valentines Day by his oldest son. This spooked him and he has disappeared with our daughter. I have custody and have since obtained a Temporary Restraining Order blocking his contact with our daughter until we can have a hearing and a Writ of Attachment for our daughter, when found, to be returned to me. I am very concerned about my daughter and what she may be going through. Is there any way I can trace the location of his cell phone that he is still using so I can find my daughter? The police will not help with this, is there any other way? -Concerned Mom
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| 5497. |
Sarah
Casper, WY
Age: 50
Feb 27, 2009
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Re: 5480 David
My daughter had all of her ID stolen...SS card, Drivers License, etc. When we went to the SS Office we were told that they WILL NOT issue another SS Number for her...she was just 18 at the time. When asked why not we were told it is against policy regardless of having it stolen, including for the reason of Identity Theft, we just had to keep checking her credit report to make sure there was no illegal activity. Even then, they would not reissue another number to her. We were shocked by the response and asked to speak with a supervisor, we were told the same thing. Leave it to the government to HELP in these situations.....sarcasm intended. Good luck!!
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