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Offshore & Privacy Secrets
June 28, 2000
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| Offshore & Privacy Secrets June 28, 2000 | | |||||||||||||
By: | | Robert Smith | | ||||||||||||
Date: | | 06/28/2000 | | ||||||||||||
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================================================================ >> "Offshore & Privacy Secrets, June 28, 2000" << Published by OPC International http://offshore-privacy.com ================================================================ CONTENTS [1] Welcome! [2] Move Money Without Trace [3] Beyond World Government [4] NewsBriefs [5] Feedback [6] Glossary [7] Quote of the Week ================================================================ [1] Welcome! ================================================================ Dear Friends, The latest attacks on offshore havens seem to have had the "desired" effect: Confusion and uncertainty. We received lots of emails inquiring about the future of offshore havens... and it's no surprise at all, considering the events that took place over the past few weeks. (You'll find links to the respective reports in the NewsBriefs section.) First of all, there was the announcement that Austria would finally abolish the anonymous Sparbuch. Then, the agreement of EU countries to abolish banking secrecy within the EU until 2008, and to attempt to force non-EU members to follow suit. Next, the letters of five former offshore havens to the OECD, wimpishly stating that they would join the fight against "abusive tax evasion" Then, the FATF's (Financial Action Task Force) publication of a list of countries that are currently being used for "money laundering". And last not least, the OECD's publication of a very similar list, containing countries that engage in "harmful tax practices": The FATF's list includes: Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, Israel, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Panama, the Phili- ppines, Russia, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent. The OECD's list is more comprehensive and includes the following havens: Anguilla, Andorra, Antigua, Aruba, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, the British Virgin Islands, the Channel Islands of Guernsey, Sark and Alderney, the Cook Islands, Dominica, Gibraltar, Grenada, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Montserrat, Nauru, Netherlands Antilles, Niue, Panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Seychelles, Tonga, Turks and Caicos, US Virgin Islands, Vanuatu, Western Samoa. Havens included on both lists are: The Bahamas, the Cook Islands, Dominica, Liechtenstein, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Panama, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent Some of the named countries are vehemently attacking the OECD's report, claiming that it is economic blackmail. They do not realize that being included on these lists is an endorsement more than anything else! It's like a Top 25 List of tax havens with strong banking privacy laws. YOU ARE INVITED In addition to having added and removed some havens from our members only offshore haven page, we are currently compiling a list of the "Top 10 Offshore Havens". Which havens offer the best offshore envir- onment and, most importantly, will continue to stand up against the high tax countries - i.e. countries that routinely steal 50%+ of their productive citizens's income, and act as if it were the most natural thing in the world? We welcome your input and invite you to submit your opinions and experiences by return email. As always - live free! Robert Smith OPC International http://offshore-privacy.com PS: We'll be taking the next week off and will resume publishing on July 10th! Be sure to join the Offshore & Privacy Club; it has just become easier than ever to do so. You can join right now by credit card, online check, e-gold, Western Union, PayPal and money order. We're adding new information to the secret members only site all the time - don't miss out! Check out the full benefits at: http://offshore-privacy.com/club.html Then sign up and gain immediate access! ================================================================ [2] Move Money Without Trace ================================================================ There are many different ways to move money to and from your offshore account - but remember, some ways are better than others! Bank Draft/Cashier's Check. This is still a good way, provided you don't send too large an amount at one time. You can purchase a Draft from most banks and do not need to fully identify yourself. Telegraphic/Wire Transfer. This is okay if you're moving money from one offshore account to another - but don't do it from your home country to your offshore account, as it will both advise the bank of where the funds are coming from - and where they are going to. And banks may be required to report amounts above certain limits. Personal/Company Cheque. This method is also too easily traced - both where it's going and where it's from, and should never be used to shift your funds from "onshore" to "offshore". Cheque Recycling. If you can endorse any incoming cheques over to your creditors, then you will be able to hide the existence of that money. Secured Credit Cards. With deposit backed cards, you don't have to provide the same level of personal identification - even better if a trust owns the account. That way you can access funds from ATMs or purchase goods and services without attract- ing any attention. Money Market Accounts. You can write a personal cheque to your money market account, then use a money market cheque to move funds to your offshore account. This still leaves a paper trail of sorts, but is difficult to uncover, especially if you later close the money market account. International Money Order. In some countries you can still purchase these from the Post Office. They have the advantage of being anonymous. Western Union. You can use this service to make fast money transfers. It costs more than what banks charge, but you can retain your privacy - provided you keep the transfers below certain limits. Travelers Cheques. This is a very good way to move funds - provided you don't attract attention to yourself by purchasing too many from the same source. First Class Airline Tickets. This is an unusual one. With an open first class air ticket, you are able to gain a refund if you later change your plans. Armed with a "high value" ticket, you have in your hands a nice "invisible" and convertible form of money. Rare Stamps. Another highly unusual one! Buy some rare and expensive ($2,000+) stamps at home, put them into a small paper bag along with other, regular stamps, and travel offshore (or send them ahead by mail/courier). Then sell the stamps to a stamps dealer, and deposit the cash into your offshore account. Works just as fine the other way round. ================================================================ [3] Beyond World Government ================================================================ It has become quite fashionable, even and especially in liber- tarian circles, to applaud the upcoming "demise of the nation state" and the "rise of Sovereign Individuals". And even though it is obvious that the nation state is about to lose much of its power and individuals are gaining ever more control over their own lives, it could also turn out to be all to easy for a more encompassing entity to "take over" where the nation state left off. And indeed, there is one such organization in place right now which has the potential to literally take over the world - the United Nations. --- This article is much too long to be published here in its entirety, but we've made it available in the OPC Members Section. To join the OPC, and to find out the truth about the threat of world government, click here: http://offshore-privacy.com/club.html ================================================================ [4] NewsBriefs ================================================================ Attacks on Offshore Havens First of all, there was the announcement that Austria would finally abolish the anonymous Sparbuch: http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/2000-06/16/100l-061600-idx.html Then, the agreement of EU countries to abolish banking secrecy within the EU until 2008, and to attempt to force non-EU members to follow suit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_798000/798368.stm Then, the letters of five former offshore havens to the OECD, wimpishly stating that they would join the fight against "abusive tax evasion": http://www.oecd.org/daf/fa/harm_tax/advcom.htm Then, the FATF's (Financial Action Task Force) publication of a list of countries that are currently being used for "money laundering": http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/business/newsid_801000/801423.stm And last not least, the OECD's publication of a very similar list, containing countries that engage in "harmful tax practices": http://www.oecd.org/daf/fa/harm_tax/Report_En.pdf ---------------------------------------------------------------- Brits Tone Down Email Bill The British government tabled a series of amendments to its bill allowing police and security services to view private emails on Tuesday to head off a brewing revolt in the upper chamber of parliament. Government sources said ministers wanted to define more clearly what information police could have access to without a warrant. Home Office (interior ministry) minister Charles Clarke has also signaled he would look at the potential cost to business of the Regulation and Investigatory Powers Bill. http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37261,00.html COMMENT If the UK spy plan is implemented, many businesses would leave the UK, fearing the loss of commercial confidentiality. Now the bureaucrats are waking up to this too and are reconsidering their plans. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Germany Wants To Censor The World Germany's justice minister Tuesday called for global rules against hate speech on the Internet and urged stronger self- regulation by Web companies to beat racism and xenophobia. "What is forbidden offline must be forbidden online," Herta Däubler-Gmelin told a conference in Berlin on hate speech on the Web. "Given the global character of the Internet, our goal must be to achieve a global value consensus and to agree an inter- national minimum level of regulation." http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,37251,00.html COMMENT Another country trying to impose its authoritarian moral standards on the world... ---------------------------------------------------------------- Lawmakers Send $1.3 billion to Colombia House and Senate leaders agreed to add $1.3 billion to funds used to further escalate Colombia's simmering, drug-fueled civil war. http://dallasnews.com/world/100738_nucolombia_23i.html COMMENT Why don't they just legalize drugs and give those $1.3 billion back to the people the money belongs to - the US taxpayers? ================================================================ [5] Feedback ================================================================ Last week I was speculating about French efforts to censor the Internet. A reader confirmed that this was more than speculation: "You are right! That has been done: 1) Some of the major French ISPs block all email from Cyberpass/ Supernews/Altopia, these emails are DELETED and not sent to receiver! 2) ALL FRENCH ISPs block ALL anonymous remailers, and Supernews/ Cyberpass/Altopia in ALL "fr." Usenet newsgroups! There's currently a fight between those nazis and freedom fighters: Freedom fighters just finished to build a "cancelbot", which cancels ALL posts in the french Usenet groups! War has begun! HELP!" Another reader informed us about the upcoming demise of the Bahamas as an offshore center: "I was informed by an absolutely committed and invaluable provider of very specialised offshore services, (International law degrees, ex CIA, veteran of many world theatres etc.) that the Bahamas has just caved in to U.S. pressure. The Government of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas has agreed to divulge to the I.R.S. and to the ghastly C.C.R.A. (former Revenue Canada) information on beneficial owners of corporations, holders of personal bank accounts etc. The Bahamas has now given up, and joined the bureaucratic looters in their ongoing socialist crusade for wealth distri- bution." As usual, thanks for all your feedback! ================================================================ [6] Glossary ================================================================ * Bearer Share Certificate A negotiable share certificate made out in the name of the bearer and not in the name of a particular person or organization. ================================================================ [7] Quote of the Week ================================================================ "If men use their liberty in such a way as to surrender their liberty, are they thereafter any the less slaves? If people by a plebiscite elect a man despot over them, do they remain free because the despotism was of their own making?" Herbert Spencer (1884) | | | ||||||||||||
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