Radio Transmitters Found in Canadian Coins
Radio transmitters have been found in Canadian coins:
Canadian coins containing tiny transmitters have mysteriously turned up in the pockets of at least three American contractors who visited Canada, says a branch of the U.S. Defense Department.
Security experts believe the miniature devices could be used to track the movements of defence industry personnel dealing in sensitive military technology.
Sounds implausible, really. There are far easier ways to track someone than to give him something he’s going to give away the next time he buys a cup of coffee. Like, maybe, by his cell phone.
And then we have this:
A report that some Canadian coins have been compromised by secretly embedded spy transmitters is overblown, according to a U.S. official familiar with the case.
“There is no story there,” the official, who asked not to be named, told The Globe and Mail.
He said that while some odd-looking Canadian coins briefly triggered suspicions in the United States, he said that the fears proved groundless: “We have no evidence to indicate anything connected with these coins poses a risk or danger.”
Take your pick. Either the original story was overblown, or those involved are trying to spin the news to cover their tracks. We definitely don’t have very many facts here.
EDITED TO ADD (1/18): The U.S. retracts the story.
McGavin • January 11, 2007 12:35 PM
Cell phones aren’t as useful to tamper with if they don’t make it into secured areas.
Could the coins be a proof of concept to see where they end up? Technology only gets better, so is it inconceivable that in the near future that high quality transmitters could be good enough and tiny enough to record and transmit conversations from a coin?
If so, then knowing the effectiveness of the distribution method is valuable knowledge.