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Canadian Coins Are Bugged Money

Canadian coins with transmitters have been found in the pockets of American contractors who visited Canada, according to the Department of Defense (DoD).

A DoD report titled Technology Collection Trends in the U.S. Defense Industry reports on the problem:

"On at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January 2006, cleared defense contractors' employees traveling through Canada have discovered radio frequency transmitters embedded in Canadian coins placed on their persons..."

The report does not specify the kind of technology used. The coins could have been bugged using RFID technology. However, this would only serve to "mark" an individual so he could be discerned in a crowd using an RFID reader. RFID does not have any means of transmitting voice data, which is apparently the case with this bugged Canadian money.

Science fiction writer Bruce Sterling nailed this one without even trying in his 1998 book Distraction:

It was hard to take American cash seriously when it was no longer convertible outside U.S. borders. Besides, all the bigger bills were bugged... (Read more about Bruce Sterling's bugged money)

Read a bit more about Canadian coins bugged via Velcro City Tourist Board.

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 1/11/2007)

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