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How? Unless you input a form of ID (like a telephone number in a loyalty program) I don't see how a cash transaction can be linked to you at all. It's not lik

by finnh 4y ago

How? Unless you input a form of ID (like a telephone number in a loyalty program) I don't see how a cash transaction can be linked to you at all. It's not like your cash purchase of 58.32kr has a match 578.32 kr withdrawal; that cash was taken from an ATM in a large, round-number bundle.

lkschubert8 4y ago
I think they are more likely referring to being able to create a fingerprint of what you purchase. If you purchase via card enough times its not unreasonable that a model could be created to link your cash transactions back to you.
- Enginerrrd 4y ago
  Yes that's exactly what I was referring to. Papers have been written on this subject. When you're buying quite a few items, it's quite hard not to be relatively unique.
InvaderFizz 4y ago
I believe the reference is to utilizing pattern matching in the items and quantities purchased. We are creatures of habit and tend to repeat the same activities and purchases.
Karellen 4y ago
If there's a cash transaction every Wednesday between 7pm and 9pm, which always contains a specific type of bread, and a specific type of breakfast cereal, and a specific type of milk, and a specific type of sandwich filling, that's anonymous customer #5678. If you ever misremember the amount cash in your wallet, and, rather than just abandoning your basket at the checkout when you discover this, you pay with a card just one time, for that exact basket, when there is no cash customer for that basket on that night, they can now be pretty certain about who customer #5678 is, and can then link you to 95% of your historic purchases too. OpSec is hard, yo.
- SnowHill9902 4y ago
  That’s why you rotate your brands and buy stuff you don’t need only to discard it later. Just kidding not kidding.
- DeathArrow 4y ago
  You still can pay someone to buy your groceries. :)
fudgefactorfive 4y ago
The point isn't explicitly connecting the cash purchase directly to you. The point is there are plenty of ways to attach payment methods directly to you and once that's happened anything else related to you can allow inference of further purchase data. For example, store POS system tracks nearby MAC addresses (simplest to do, very archaic). You always have your phone on you. Game Over. Even if you pay cash, if you've ever paid with a bank card connected to your identity next to that phone a logical inference can be made that the cash transaction XYZ is related to pseudonymous ID ABC if phone P's identifier was present at time of purchase. That's what the entire point of things like Google Wallet/Pay is. Another means of directly attaching payment methods to your ID. Once that bank card is connected to you all transactions for that card from any source is also connected to you. From that every ID present at time of purchase is one step removed from you. And so it goes...
mrob 4y ago
ATMs/self-service checkout machines can contain cameras to record the serial number of every note they dispense/accept.
EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 4y ago
Dont forget about face recognition.

by finnh 4y ago

lkschubert8 4y ago

I think they are more likely referring to being able to create a fingerprint of what you purchase. If you purchase via card enough times its not unreasonable that a model could be created to link your cash transactions back to you.

Enginerrrd 4y ago
Yes that's exactly what I was referring to. Papers have been written on this subject. When you're buying quite a few items, it's quite hard not to be relatively unique.

InvaderFizz 4y ago

I believe the reference is to utilizing pattern matching in the items and quantities purchased. We are creatures of habit and tend to repeat the same activities and purchases.

Karellen 4y ago

If there's a cash transaction every Wednesday between 7pm and 9pm, which always contains a specific type of bread, and a specific type of breakfast cereal, and a specific type of milk, and a specific type of sandwich filling, that's anonymous customer #5678. If you ever misremember the amount cash in your wallet, and, rather than just abandoning your basket at the checkout when you discover this, you pay with a card just one time, for that exact basket, when there is no cash customer for that basket on that night, they can now be pretty certain about who customer #5678 is, and can then link you to 95% of your historic purchases too. OpSec is hard, yo.

SnowHill9902 4y ago
That’s why you rotate your brands and buy stuff you don’t need only to discard it later. Just kidding not kidding.
DeathArrow 4y ago
You still can pay someone to buy your groceries. :)

fudgefactorfive 4y ago

The point isn't explicitly connecting the cash purchase directly to you. The point is there are plenty of ways to attach payment methods directly to you and once that's happened anything else related to you can allow inference of further purchase data. For example, store POS system tracks nearby MAC addresses (simplest to do, very archaic). You always have your phone on you. Game Over. Even if you pay cash, if you've ever paid with a bank card connected to your identity next to that phone a logical inference can be made that the cash transaction XYZ is related to pseudonymous ID ABC if phone P's identifier was present at time of purchase. That's what the entire point of things like Google Wallet/Pay is. Another means of directly attaching payment methods to your ID. Once that bank card is connected to you all transactions for that card from any source is also connected to you. From that every ID present at time of purchase is one step removed from you. And so it goes...

mrob 4y ago

ATMs/self-service checkout machines can contain cameras to record the serial number of every note they dispense/accept.

EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 4y ago

Dont forget about face recognition.