Is it normal?

[Gogobot]

Sorry in advance for the noob question.

Is it normal when doing a cash (moneygram) purchase of bitcoins, to have the Moneygram vendor ask for two forms of ID?

I didnt buy many bitcoins, but I am still waiting for them.

This was at a Walmart in the USA, I printed the bitcoin-->email confirmation sheet with all the receive code and account number, went to Wal-Mart, filled out the bottom portion of the blue moneygram slip (they dont have a moneygram phone or terminal) and the woman was like...WHAT is this?  WHo are you?  What is this for?  Are you paying for a car or mortgage?  I told her, "I am using cash to make a payment to this account."  She called the manager, he looked at my printout, they conferred for a bit, did some work at their terminal and then said...OH, yes, we can send this through....but still asked for two forms of ID!

It is partially my fault for living in a country redneck bum-fuck part of the country.

Thankfully the guy behind me in line was drunk and trying to return an obviously very old DVD for cash (LOL probalby for meth or beer,) fortunately his ranting and raving took their attention off me and they forgot about asking for the ID!  But I dont want to go there again if this is not normal!

Thank you in advance!

[wishfulthinking]

I often find that if I tell the cashier that I don't have my ID about 1 and 3 cashiers will transfer the money with out an ID. YMMV.

[Stephen Gornick]

Sorry in advance for the noob question.

Is it normal when doing a cash (moneygram) purchase of bitcoins, to have the Moneygram vendor ask for two forms of ID?

Apparently they are being over-cautious.

Here's what the AML Compliance Guide from Moneygram says:

Before completing a Send and / or Receive of $900 or more, you must obtain and record the customer’s government issued photo ID.

So if your transfer was under $900, they weren't required by Moneygram to check your ID.

You might print out pages 1 and 7 of the guide to show, maybe that will help the WalMart person "remember" instances where they don't need to collect ID.

 - http://www.moneygram.com/WCM/groups/mgicorp_content/documents/content/mgicorp_moneylegal_region1_209.pdf

It is partially my fault for living in a country redneck bum-fuck part of the country.

No, it is an easier explanation.  See this?



That's the hotel where they hold the Spring AML conference:

 - http://www.bitcoinmoney.com/post/19526528411

That's the place where bankers send their compliance people.  These are the people that should be worrying about how their bank is being used by a PFG Best to abscond with hundreds of millioins of dollars or to ensure that when MF Global claims the money just "vaporized" that in reality, there is a trail for every million dollar transaction that occurred.

Instead, these compliance people come up with ways to figure out how existing AML regulations can be used to scare businesses like WalMart into paying big bucks for AML compliance software and compliance program to protect them.

But if the software simply shows an alert only on the odd occasion that someone is transferring $3K or more, then what good is the software?  Instead this software rises in visibility and importance by requesting identification for every transaction -- even an $87 Moneygram from someone who obviously ins't funding bin Laden or whomever is #1 on the list now,

So because some bank wants to sell some software and earn bonuses for the compliance product sales team and get them another vacation conference in Miami next year, people like you and me get inconvenienced when using a money transfer service.  WalMart plays along because this isn't their fight. They simply pass on to you the cost of the extra time for checking ID even though it wasn't required.

[modcom]

Maybe you look Suspicious...