Someone is sending out 0.001 BTC's to hundreds of random people. Who and why?

[1PFYcabWEwZFm2Ez5LGTx3ftz]

^{I've split this into a separate topic from here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=254489.0}

Event:

I recently received 0.001 BTC to an address, which I didn't even know I had - after some digging, I realized it was a "change" address, which was technically "public" on the blockchain since 2013 May, but which I never ever purposefully gave to anyone.

The only possibility, how someone could have known this address, is to "find" it on the blockchain.

The transaction, in which I was sent 0.001 BTC https://blockchain.info/tx/f6f2e613f6653a3b47f92fd70ff4d1ccc847811294f734a5e9f310c5b9eb063a , also included hundreds of 0.001 BTC sent to other addresses (and a few larger sums too).

I have several hypothesis on why this was done:

1.
Someone is trying to create confusion and scare people, by trying to make them to believe, that an address collision has happened. This hypothesis is reinforced by the facts that:
a) the first 3 answers were "maybe it's a bug", "maybe it's an address collision", "it's definitely an address collision - this has happened before";
b) when I even suggested the idea that this could have been done on purpose, I was immediately called "naive" and "paranoid" and that I "probably won it on satoshidice and forgot about it".

2.
Someone is trying to "launder" his/her bitcoins, and even goes to the extreme of sending some BTC to random people, to better hide the money trail.

3.
Some sort of denial-of-service-attack/network-spamming?
a) I don't think so, because to spam the network you could send BTC back and forth between the addresses that you own, there is no need to send BTC to other people.

To make some things absolutely clear:
1. Address collision did NOT happen.
2. I did NOT use this address anywhere - the ONLY way it could have been found, is on the blockchain.

[klmist]

I think it's a probe to test and see which new addresses are associated with that old one; when you spend that 0.001 BTC along with some of your other inputs they will become linked and they'll know that the same person that owned that old change address owns some other inputs that might not be otherwise associated with it. You could delete that change key from your wallet, or first import it somewhere else -- maybe redeem it on mtgox or something and thus foil their scheme :p

[BitCoiner2012]

I think it's a probe to test and see which new addresses are associated with that old one; when you spend that 0.001 BTC along with some of your other inputs they will become linked and they'll know that the same person that owned that old change address owns some other inputs that might not be otherwise associated with it. You could delete that change key from your wallet, or first import it somewhere else -- maybe redeem it on mtgox or something and thus foil their scheme :p

Clever... All of it.

[BitAddict]

I think it's a probe to test and see which new addresses are associated with that old one; when you spend that 0.001 BTC along with some of your other inputs they will become linked and they'll know that the same person that owned that old change address owns some other inputs that might not be otherwise associated with it. You could delete that change key from your wallet, or first import it somewhere else -- maybe redeem it on mtgox or something and thus foil their scheme :p

Clever... All of it.

Wow, great deduction. I never thought about that.

[scotaloo]

Dude, seriously? You are one paranoid guy, earlier you thought somebody who needed their wallet password bruteforced was trying to start a media scare, and now this?

This happens all the time, anyone can send anyone BTC for any reason, scripts go haywire, people copy & paste the wrong address, people send money "for lulz" and as someone else pointed out, to probe addresses to see if their alive, or to see if they spend that BTC in a joint transaction so that they can see other addresses that the person owns.

People come here all the time with wallets that need bruteforcing or to ask about money they randomly received, they're two very common threads, use the search or just browse the forum and you'll see.

Damn dude whats wrong with you? Take your meds.

[1PFYcabWEwZFm2Ez5LGTx3ftz]

Dude, seriously? You are one paranoid guy, earlier you thought somebody who needed their wallet password bruteforced was trying to start a media scare, and now this?

This happens all the time, anyone can send anyone BTC for any reason, scripts go haywire, people copy & paste the wrong address, people send money "for lulz" and as someone else pointed out, to probe addresses to see if their alive, or to see if they spend that BTC in a joint transaction so that they can see other addresses that the person owns.

People come here all the time with wallets that need bruteforcing or to ask about money they randomly received, they're two very common threads, use the search or just browse the forum and you'll see.

Damn dude whats wrong with you? Take your meds.

Better to be paranoid, than an idiot. So your hypothesis is, that someone sent 0.001 BTC * 1000 = 1 BTC = ~80 USD to random strangers just "for lulz". Seriously? SERIOUSLY?

The hypothesis that it was done to probe and track addresses actually makes a lot of sense, but it is also scary, because if that is true, then it means that someone is willing to spend ~80 USD just to be able to potentially track ~1000 of bitcoin addresses.

Am I paranoid, for pointing out, that even the ddos of mtgox was called "Bitcoin was hacked" in mass-media?
Am I paranoid, for pointing out, how much FUD and anti-bitcoin propaganda is in mass-media?
Am I paranoid, for believing, that since mass-media loves spreading anti-bitcoin propaganda, and has called ddos of one bitcoin exchange as "Bitcoin hacking", that they will also call bruteforcing of a bitcoin wallet as "Bitcoin hacking"?

[🏰 TradeFortress 🏰]

Yes, I remember giving away a total of 10 BTC randomly on coinchat when we had a launch party.

[scotaloo]

Better to be paranoid, than an idiot. So your hypothesis is, that someone sent 0.001 BTC * 1000 = 1 BTC = ~80 USD to random strangers just "for lulz". Seriously? SERIOUSLY?

Lol, yeah I might do that now for the lulz actually, probably encode a few msgs too, it's phun to make the script to do it, something to do. I planned to send every bitcoin address with a balance a satoshi at xmas, I would've if it wasn't for the tx fee's. $80 don't matter to the average person.

[1PFYcabWEwZFm2Ez5LGTx3ftz]

Yes, I remember giving away a total of 10 BTC randomly on coinchat when we had a launch party.

Was that sarcasm? Giving away 10 BTC to promote your business to people on the same website as you, is in no way equal to silently scanning the blockchain and sending totally random people 10 BTC.

Consider this real world example:

If you had a launch party for your business, and then gave away presents to people who attended your launch party, everything would be fine.

But if you went to the street, and began to give away dollars to random strangers passing by, you would be arrested in 30 minutes, and charged with "conspiracy to cause social disorder" at best, or "terrorism" at worst.

[scotaloo]

But if you went to the street, and began to give away dollars to random strangers passing by, you would be arrested in 30 minutes, and charged with "conspiracy to cause social disorder" at best, or "terrorism" at worst.

You never saw the Youtube video of that guy who gave away $10,000 to random people on the street for no reason? No charges their my friend.

Please take your meds, seriously I'm worried at this point.

[1PFYcabWEwZFm2Ez5LGTx3ftz]

But if you went to the street, and began to give away dollars to random strangers passing by, you would be arrested in 30 minutes, and charged with "conspiracy to cause social disorder" at best, or "terrorism" at worst.

You never saw the Youtube video of that guy who gave away $10,000 to random people on the street for no reason? No charges their my friend.

Please take your meds, seriously I'm worried at this point.

Took me 15 seconds of googling to find some examples:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/08/drunk-man-arrested-for-gi_n_227955.html Drunk Man Arrested For Giving Away Money In Spain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGtxzNSHfu4 Man Gets Arrested For Giving Away Money
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Aipf3wz0o Man Arrested For Feeding The Homeless!?

And will you please stop insulting me? If you have a different opinion, but don't have any arguments to support it, it will NOT make your opinion more valid simply because you keep calling me a drug addict/paranoid. I am neither.

[scotaloo]

And will you please stop insulting me? If you have a different opinion, but don't have any arguments to support it, it will NOT make your opinion more valid simply because you keep calling me a drug addict/paranoid. I am neither.

Whoa, who said anything about drug addict?

Look, I'm saying your a bit over-paranoid, somebody today thought I was paranoid for wanting my tx id's removed, I'm not here to argue with you, I don't really care what you do/say tbh but it's a little scary though, you don't need to be that paranoid.

Anyways, I'm out, I've got an Eric to find.

[🏰 TradeFortress 🏰]

No charges were filed and random youtube videos are not valid citations.

Let's go back on topic: it's most likely an address probe

[1PFYcabWEwZFm2Ez5LGTx3ftz]

_{Whoa, who said anything about drug addict?}

^{You told me to "take my medicine", like I am supposedly addicted to some medicine (drugs), which I must take.}

No charges were filed and random youtube videos are not valid citations.

Let's go back on topic: it's most likely an address probe

I agree. Then the question is: who would be willing to spend 80 USD to probe 1000 addresses? And there may have been more transactions like this, so a lot more than 80 USD could have been actually spent.

[scotaloo]

I agree. Then the question is: who would be willing to spend 80 USD to probe 1000 addresses? And there may have been more transactions like this, so a lot more than 80 USD could have been actually spent.

Me. I just did it, not a 1000 addresses but not far off and not to probe, for the lulz, I made sure to include your address too

[1PFYcabWEwZFm2Ez5LGTx3ftz]

I agree. Then the question is: who would be willing to spend 80 USD to probe 1000 addresses? And there may have been more transactions like this, so a lot more than 80 USD could have been actually spent.

Me. I just did it, not a 1000 addresses but not far off and not to probe, for the lulz, I made sure to include your address too

Liar.

Here is the transaction: https://blockchain.info/tx/e631eba8669d07f4be996886cf03902e2e16e55805ad702ca1348b514d4f456f , you only sent to 3 addresses (the one with highest BTC amount probably belonging to you).

I really don't understand what your motivation is trying to trick people.

No one spends 80 USD to probe addresses if they don't have an agenda behind it.

[1PFYcabWEwZFm2Ez5LGTx3ftz]

To get back on topic again: who would be willing to spend 80 USD to probe 1000 addresses?

If someone has skills in tracking transactions, it would be interesting to know, who is behind this. It may be nothing sinister. Or it may be a government preparing for a mass "money laundering" lawsuit.

[🏰 TradeFortress 🏰]

I sent you $80 USD to your address. Now be less crazy.

If it was $800 or $8000 then you may have a point. $80 for 1000 addresses is 8 cents per address.

[scotaloo]

Liar.

*facepalm*

LOL! That wasn't the only tx dude, read my previous posts and you'll understand why I sent your BTC in a single tx.

Also you could send 0.00001BTC to 1000 addresses and it'll cost you even less again.

[QuestionAuthority]

I sent you $80 USD to your address. Now be less crazy.

If it was $800 or $8000 then you may have a point. $80 for 1000 addresses is 8 cents per address.

If I agree that I'm batshit insane will you send me $80 too. lol