Could bitcoin prevent crime?

[Paxful_Marketing]

The best example of this i can give is in relation to terrorism. A great concept of this on a local level is that people get involved with crime due to the lack of choices. So say George wants to open a business and support his family, but due to bureaucracy and corruption in the local government - this happens a lot in some parts of Africa, also Afghanistan and many other locations - he is unable to open the business rapidly. It can take up to 3 months in some parts of the world! So we introduce bitcoin. Now the guy can automatically earn money without needing a bank, permission or paper work. So the next step is the business itself. With more and more services coming around, people will be able to bypass normal standards and open a business purely on the blockchain jurisdiction. Meaning they do not need to turn to crime or other means out of desperation to support their families.

This is a very basic example but it does portray the message correctly. A lot of crime comes from the lack of choice one has to support oneself leading them to make desperate moves to bypass their circumstances.

[Soul Reaper]

See bitcoin is a virtual currency so you can't really prevent crimes using bitcoins instead the use of bitcoin may increase the criminal activities as using bitcoins for transactions may be totally alien to some people.
This implies the lesser the people know about it the more difficult will be for them to understand it's working ie it may take so.e time for them to get comfortable with it while that time might be enough to fool that using it for transactions may also lead to zero tax payment which is officially a crime.so we can't say that it will prevent crimes.

[BitcoinPC]

It cant prevent crime but it helps us trace the criminal who stole the money with btcoin

Can you tell us how bitcoin will help to trace the theif who stole bitcoins. I feel bitcoin is anonymous and it is extreme difficult to trace through bitcoins.Your stolen bank money or credit card can be traced but No for bitcoins.

[LeGaulois]

New technology but same old problems. I don't think bitcoin can prevent crime. Criminals are often, if not always, more advanced, and already in the next step before the others. They always find new ways, new technologies to commit theirs crimes, somztimes they have a lot of imagination. The anonimity of bitcoin is a misconception as well but it didn't stopped the european commission in their anti taxs evasion journey.. And nowaday gangster prefer to use crypto like monero

[bryant.coleman]

The crime will be significantly reduced, if people stop carrying physical cash and credit cards in their wallet. They can make the payments using the Bitcoin wallet in their mobile phones. Even if someone steals the mobile phone, it will be of no use. The wallet will be protected by 2-factor authentication and by the time the thief manages to crack it, the coins will be transferred somewhere safely.

[sportis]

Sorry, let me rephrase - not prevent crime exactly, but prevent violence during criminal transactions.

In a criminal transaction Escrow would be the safest option because if the escrow jets with the money he'll have two criminals after him, not just one!

I am pretty confident when people decide to do a criminal activity they don't use escrow. The same is, when people use fiat money almost all of the times they use only cash and no web banking and debit/credit cards and so on. Moreover, the way I see it bitcoin is only a P2P payment system without the need of third trust entities. No police, no god no more no less.

[Raja_MBZ]

Could bitcoin prevent crime?

I believe Bitcoin transactions via online wallets could prevent crime. People are going to use Bitcoin for legal and illegal transactions, however criminal transactions are susceptible to crime as cash is used for the transaction...which encourages theft. If bitcoin were used for these shady transactions, perhaps with escrow, there would be no opportunity to steal currency - couldn't this prevent crime? (Aside from the original criminal transaction of course!)

Only this way it can prevent crime.

However, I'm sure that bitcoin would be used more for illegal activities (such as gambling and ponzi schemes) than good activities.

[meemiinii]

it's the opposite due to the decentralized nature and thus more hard to control, it's strengthen the crime activity

yes due to decentralization, it wouldnt prevent crime. since it will be so hard to control the in and out of bitcoins. its hard to control all the transaction and due to this, bitcoin can be a MEDIUM or TOOL to do crime or any illegal activities.  since identities are hidden, so it will be a great way for criminals (or people who have criminal minds) to do an illegal acts. and sadly, this is the biggest DISADVANTAGE of bitcoin and decentralization.

[SamsungBitcoin]

no it can't, more users here in bitcoin is do scamming other users also some corporation do that already by starting investment site which has promising interest to lure more users to invest. Thats the only thing i know to have crime in bitcoin.

[wuvdoll]

Could bitcoin prevent crime?

I believe Bitcoin transactions via online wallets could prevent crime. People are going to use Bitcoin for legal and illegal transactions, however criminal transactions are susceptible to crime as cash is used for the transaction...which encourages theft. If bitcoin were used for these shady transactions, perhaps with escrow, there would be no opportunity to steal currency - couldn't this prevent crime? (Aside from the original criminal transaction of course!)

I have read an article in some countries, due to bank cards thieves and pickpockets are go starving and started to switch over their "job". If it is really happening then bitcoin also will bring revolution just due to cash-less transactions.

But I am very much sure, bitcoin payments will eliminate corruptions and bribes if governments start using it.

[Text]

no it can't, more users here in bitcoin is do scamming other users also some corporation do that already by starting investment site which has promising interest to lure more users to invest. Thats the only thing i know to have crime in bitcoin.

Yeah, scammers are criminal, they don't belong here. We should be aware and not be tempted on investments  where their primary purpose is to get our own money. Just invest on those most trusted company like having a good reviews/feedback and testimonials.

[Juggy777]

How can Bitcoin prevent crime, first of all we all don't really know who the other user is and so don't our hi tech agencies. Terrorists could well be using it and they would not even be leaving a paper trail behind. If you are indicating that instead of cash, if money is paid in Bitcoin crime is not crime or can it be prevented, how op. Won't the user of Bitcoin immediately convert it to Fiat money? There's absolutely no way of stopping crime from using Bitcoin, though if we all come to know we any such shady activities, we can report it but doubt it will help much.

[Sundark]

Could bitcoin prevent crime?

I believe Bitcoin transactions via online wallets could prevent crime. People are going to use Bitcoin for legal and illegal transactions, however criminal transactions are susceptible to crime as cash is used for the transaction...which encourages theft. If bitcoin were used for these shady transactions, perhaps with escrow, there would be no opportunity to steal currency - couldn't this prevent crime? (Aside from the original criminal transaction of course!)

Are you aware of the amount of bitcoin related scams attacking? It is unbelievable. Most bitcoin thefts are nothing more than simple embezzlement.
How can you prevent scams like fake cloud mining company or HIYPs Ponzi schemes stealing our money?

[sotoshihero]

it's the opposite due to the decentralized nature and thus more hard to control, it's strengthen the crime activity

yes due to decentralization, it wouldnt prevent crime. since it will be so hard to control the in and out of bitcoins. its hard to control all the transaction and due to this, bitcoin can be a MEDIUM or TOOL to do crime or any illegal activities.  since identities are hidden, so it will be a great way for criminals (or people who have criminal minds) to do an illegal acts. and sadly, this is the biggest DISADVANTAGE of bitcoin and decentralization.

Yes, that is true with bitcoin anonymity bitcoin can not prevent crime, in addition it can used as a tool to encourage make a crime. Bitcoin is simply lioke our fiat money. Whatever you do with yopur money, whether for fraud or not its up to you.

[frendsento]

No it will not prevent a crime actually its strengthen and give confidence to the criminals to commit a crime because of its anonymous nature , When dealing with large sum of money I advice not to use bitcoin because you have no assurance of the identity of the buyer and can easily scam you.

[darkangel11]

The crime will be significantly reduced, if people stop carrying physical cash and credit cards in their wallet. They can make the payments using the Bitcoin wallet in their mobile phones. Even if someone steals the mobile phone, it will be of no use. The wallet will be protected by 2-factor authentication and by the time the thief manages to crack it, the coins will be transferred somewhere safely.

You must be dreaming. In some parts of the world they will rob you at gunpoint just to steal the phone. They won't even know how to use your bitcoin wallet nor will they care to learn.
If you have trezor you still aren't safe as it is worth more than the cash many people carry in their wallets.

[sHeRiLyN1618]

Perhaps the nature of bitcoin is anonymous. People like terrorist and cybercriminals can easily abuse Bitcoin seeking to take advantage from payment method and payments technology. I think we've heard some news about criminal news that smelled bitcoin and bitcoin couldn't prevent crime but only help them.

[HabBear]

Are you kidding?!

Every BTC transaction for a good or a service on this forum involves the use of an escrow because regular bitcoin transactions are irreversible and technically anonymous.

Escrow is almost the most frequent service offered on this forum, second only to signature campaigners.

Moreover, the way I see it bitcoin is only a P2P payment system without the need of third trust entities. No police, no god no more no less.

[andrei56]

Yes bitcoin can prevent crime from the way I see it, bitcoin provides a way to earn some decent income legitimately for quite a number of people even on this forum alone is enough compared to other forums as well. we have had coders and IT experts coming here to earn something in which case they would have engaged in something else if this is not provided for them which there is possibility that it might be illegal. So, whether we like it or not, that counts and it means less people engaging in criminal activities.

LOL. your reason is too general, That means all things in the world can stop crimes because it is just a matter on how they use it.  In my opinion bitcoin can do both prevent and reason to made a crime. Bitcoin is money no matter what angle we see it. And money is common reason for crimes, Then it will prevent a crime once it is used on good things just like helping poor people so that they will not do bad things just for money

While money is one of the most common reasons for any crime I was under the impression most crimes in the world are still passionate in their nature, basically people do them because they fell something about committing the crime, envy, jealousy, anger.

[darkangel11]

Yes bitcoin can prevent crime from the way I see it, bitcoin provides a way to earn some decent income legitimately for quite a number of people even on this forum alone is enough compared to other forums as well. we have had coders and IT experts coming here to earn something in which case they would have engaged in something else if this is not provided for them which there is possibility that it might be illegal. So, whether we like it or not, that counts and it means less people engaging in criminal activities.

LOL. your reason is too general, That means all things in the world can stop crimes because it is just a matter on how they use it.  In my opinion bitcoin can do both prevent and reason to made a crime. Bitcoin is money no matter what angle we see it. And money is common reason for crimes, Then it will prevent a crime once it is used on good things just like helping poor people so that they will not do bad things just for money

While money is one of the most common reasons for any crime I was under the impression most crimes in the world are still passionate in their nature, basically people do them because they fell something about committing the crime, envy, jealousy, anger.

What about greed? Is this still a crime of passion if one is greedy?
Sure, crimes of passion are the most common and usually the victim and the attacker know each other, but there are other feelings responsible for the wave of crime. One of the most common is boredom. Kids from both good and bad families want to try out something new, with a kick of adrenaline, so they go shoplifting or attack and rape some girl, just to see how it feels. Bitcoin won't prevent such crimes from happening, nothing will.