From The Black OP Security Wiki
Main Page >> Tutorial Directory >> Mail
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You will probably want to read the tutorial on general Secure & Anonymous Mail
FAQ
Q. Should I microwave money before I mail it?
A. This seems to be an area of continous debate. Some people say it is voodoo, others say that it can remove the very thin metal strips (which likely really are present in money) that would otherwise show up on X-ray machines. There have been reports of large amounts of money setting off the anti-shoplifting alarms at stores, and it has been conjectured that microwaving it would prevent this phenomenon. I think it is probably not a bad idea to microwave your money before you mail it. It can't hurt, and it might help. Be careful not to microwave it for to long though, you don't want to burn the paper, just hopefully burn away the thin metal strips that may or may not be present in the bills. A microwave time I have heard suggested is 30 seconds per 10 $100 bills, done in $1,000 increments. I would start low and work your way up, to make sure your microwave is not going to burn the money. Microwave powers vary. Be safe with your money.
It has also been suggested that perhaps the metal strips in currency give off a specific frequency in very small amounts, but in such a way that large amounts of money give off enough of a signal to be detectable with customs equipment. I have not seen any proof of this, but it has ancedotal evidence supporting it.
Q. Should I vacuum seal large amounts of money?
A. It depends. 90% of United States currency has cocaine residue on it. It is not very far fetched to imagine that a drug dog could hit on this, and reveal the money. At the same time, it is more likely that a vacuum seal will show up as an irregularity on an X-ray than just currency notes. Also, vacuum sealing will add significant weight to the package. One possible advantage of vacuum sealing is that it will make the money compact and solid. I would vacuum seal larger amounts of money, but perhaps not smaller amounts (~$2,000 and less). The reason for this is, the more bills there are the higher the concentration of cocaine. Smaller amounts of bills will likely not have enough cocaine residue on them for dogs to hit on.
Q. Should I microwave money orders?
A. Money orders have the same metal strips in them as currency bills do, so it would be suggested to microwave them if you would microwave bills. I would personally avoid using money orders.
Q. Is it illegal to mail money?
A. This depends fully on the country you live in. In some parts of Europe it is illegal to mail any amount of money. In the USA, up to $10,000 can be legally mailed. You should note that it is illegal to declare cash is not cash, but you should likely do this in most cases regardless.
