I was robbed last night, and this newsletter is how I'm processing it. Before I go on, let me honor my wife. Before I left, she expressed concern that I was driving to a sketchy place and I barely knew the person to whom I was bringing all this money. I did not honor her concern enough. She knows I don't like it when she's persistent about her forebodings, so among the many things this "great loss" teaches me is the fact that I need to undo the damage that my dislike of such forebodings has done, specifically to her expressions of them. There are more lessons, and my hope is that some will benefit you.
Know Your Customer
Following is a list of texts sent to me by the criminal. I've omitted my own responses so as not to pollute the impression I hope to create in your memory so that you might recognize him/her if they try to set up a trade with you. This may be useful only for other traders in Southern California, so feel free to skip ahead.
MON 12:19 PM: Good morning. You buy btc? I have some that I want to sell. Thank you
MON 12:28 PM: I have 15.3412 what is your rate?
MON 12:35 PM: Ok. Please let me know I can wait until Wednesday - Thursday
MON 12:58 PM: Oh ok perfect. Please let me know. Thank you
TUE 9:19 AM: ?
TUE 9:31 AM: Hi
TUE 9:32 AM: ok
TUE 9:33 AM: Cool
TUE 9:34 AM: Are you able to buy tomorrow or Thursday?
TUE 9:36 AM: Around 1 hour and 20 minutes
TUE 9:38 AM: I want to sell in 2 or maximum 3 parts
TUE 9:43 AM: Ok. Thank you
WED 3:57 PM: Hello?
WED 3:58 PM: Where are you located?
WED 3:59 PM: Let me finish a meeting and text you back in around 30 minutes
WED 4:53 PM: Can we do tomorrow around 8 pm? And can we meet half way? Starbucks something in Moreno Valley or something?I’m going to meet another person tomorrow at the same time in this Starbucks12430 Day St. Moreno Valley.Will work for you? If not we can see another place that you want
WED 6:22 PM: Oh ok if you want could be tomorrow around 6 - 7 pm. Or Friday?
WED 6:41 PM: At Moreno Valley works? I’m going from Montclair
WED 6:45 PM: Yes 6 pm or if you want and less traffic 9 pm after your meeting
WED 7:52 PM: Ok great. I’ll be there at 6 pm
THU 1:17 PM: Oh ok. Great. Thank you
THU 12:23 PM: Hi. Just to confirm. 6 pm right? 12430 Day St. Moreno Valley Starbucks
THU 3:55 PM: Hi. Can we change the meeting for tomorrow? I’m still in Ventura working. I work in real estate and showing some homes I thought that I finish early but a costumer was late. I apologize. Can you make tomorrow night? 100% sure? I can do a better rate for the inconvenience if you want
THU 4:02 PM: Please?
THU 4:15 PM: Hello?
THU 4:52 PM: I don’t want to waste your time
THU 4:57 PM: Ok 5% is ok.
THU 4:57 PM: Yes 6 pm will be perfect. I’ll be tomorrow in Riverside so I’ll be near. Tomorrow 100% sure.
THU 4:58 PM: Same location in Moreno Valley 6 pm ?
THU 5:00 PM: Don’t know yet the exact address until morning. I’ll let you know. If any case the appointment is 6 pm Starbucks Moreno Valley.
THU 5:00 PM: I’ll let you know.
THU 5:00 PM: Thank you so much
THU 5:01 PM: Thank you so much
FRI 8:33 AM: Hello. Sorry didn’t see until now.
FRI 8:35 AM: Yes. Thank you
FRI 1:49 PM: I have the Btc in Blockchain. I will send to your wallet and after confirmations you give me the cash. Is ok like that? Works for you? With 5%
FRI 2:08 PM: Ok. Thank you
FRI 5:06 PM: Hi yes. I’m on my way
FRI 6:03 PM: I’m in a silver Honda Accord and with a black soccer shirt. Few minutes I’ll be there
FRI 6:19 PM: 5 minutes
FRI 6:19 PM: Lot of traffic on the freeway
FRI 6:24 PM: Oh ok. That bitstamp?
FRI 6:25 PM: Oh ok same
FRI 6:25 PM: Oh ok. I always use bitstamp but kraken works too
FRI 6:26 PM: 5% rate ?
FRI 6:27 PM: Or 4
FRI 6:28 PM: Oh ok great
FRI 6:29 PM: But I told you 5 so is ok
FRI 6:31 PM: Somebody hit me in the back. Just 1 mile to there
FRI 6:34 PM: Ok
FRI 6:35 PM: 767 apache trail Riverside
FRI 6:35 PM: I’m gettin out the freeway
FRI 6:55 PM: I’m fixing let me call back in a few
Don't Make a Good Target
As you can see, he offered information about what car he was in and what he was wearing (6:03). This is an invitation for me to do the same, which I didn't. At that time, I wasn't there yet. During the "few minutes," I parked and walked toward a different business to confuse anyone spying on me, but eventually went into the Starbucks. After waiting there for over ten minutes, he texted me "5 minutes," (6:19) but those minutes passed and I still had nothing but texts (6:24 now). After discussing the math for a bit, (6:31) he said he was hit in the back. I called his cell number and got a Spanish answering machine message in which the name recorded by the account owner wasn't even a human voice. It sounded like an old-school modem signal. At 6:38, I texted him that I was going home. I had sat there about 30 minutes giving him time to figure out how to rob me.
Coincidences Are Rare
While I was driving home, I noticed my tire pressure signal was on. This didn't raise any red flags for me, but when I told my wife, she said she would have known right away that low tire pressure was related to mischief. My self-reliance has weakened my tendency to be connected and so I wasn't on the phone with her, lamenting about the failure of this trade. Had we been talking, she may have pointed out that dealing with low tire pressure would make me more vulnerable, and so I would have been more careful. Instead, I tried to call the seller through Signal three times and got no answer. I was still imagining him stuck up at "767 Apache Trail."
Keep Your Valuables Close
His only response was the last text above (6:55). Someone pulled up next to me and mouthed that my tire was flat, so I got on Waze to find the nearest gas station and drove there, filled the tire with air, and noticed that it had a stab mark in it with air hissing out. So I started changing my flat tire and in the process left my trunk open, stupidly leaving my sealed box of cash in there. I replaced the wheel with my spare. Another gas station customer then approached me and told me "Some guy on a motorcycle just took a box out of your trunk." I went into the store to ask how I could get the security tapes to see what they show between 7:05 and 7:25.
Incorporate Lessons into Operational Security (OpSec)
So I have added some simple rules:
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Don't trade such large amounts.
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Have the seller use their LBC account so the send will be immediate and if something goes wrong, you can report that account to LBC admins.
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Notice when your motivation to increase the amount of cash you're going to bring is a result of something the seller told you.
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Protect your cash (and its container) from public view and keep it close to yourself.
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If something goes wrong with your car when you have cash, be extra wary.
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Always imagine that you're being tailed by someone who wants to rob you, and have an idea how they'd do that.
I probably missed some good lessons, so if you see any I haven't mentioned, free to let me know. I'm linking to this again because my main goal is help people heal instead of perpetuating the trauma I imagine is at the root of crime.
Dave
