Money Money Money, How do you bribe without a data trail? Options

[Browncoatone]

You've seen the scene a thousand times, the big wig strolls right past the line of wanna-bees to the door where he slips an appropriate sized bill/bills to the bouncer and then he and his party waltz right into the club. Must be even easier in an age when every monetary transaction is done electronically right?

But what if you don't want there to be a record of your little transaction?

Besides the certified credit stick, how do you make descrete transactions?

[Dream79]

You could use a disposable anonymous comlink with shadow bank account, possibly gear or drugs and maybe an exchange of favors.

I know the concept doesn't really fit in the game and has a more Hollywood approach to bribery and extortion, but in real life a little leg work and a friendly face, and a couple bucks will get you anywhere with quite a bit of people. The most effective way to bribe someone is to start a conversation that gets the mark agreeing with you a lot and then asking for a minor favor (something the guy really shouldn't do). It's just a game of fast talk really. You get the mark to keep saying yes long enough and the mark is more likely to say yes when you ask for a favor. Afterwords you slip the mark a few bucks, or do him a favor and the next time you can get more out of him. Eventually the mark will become as crooked as they come and will take money for almost anything or can be extorted.

[Medicineman]

Besides the certified credit stick, how do you make descrete transactions??

with Cash !

HokaHey
Medicineman

[Kanada Ten]

If you're short on social cred or new on the scene - hell, maybe your Pito crashed when Beverly Redlight dumped your ass on the sidewalk, then you gotta revert to using capital of one kind or another. If they're of the right type then casino vouchers (better known as underworld markers) are easy and discreet - only people in the know know that poker chip is worth something. Good and bad there, but you have to link'up with the doorman to see what he's looking for. Usually they'll update their profiles with the latest VIP list, so if you can hookup with that special someone, you're in. But if you take a scan at their page you can spot what's hot for them, maybe find a favor to trade. In a pinch, you can deal out some Cal Hots, but paydata will get you better. It's that last one which'll buy your way out of other jams, too, cause everybody wants paydata or one kind or another. If you don't know a good infobroker, buy one.

[HappyDaze]

Also remember that, for the instance in question - getting into exclusive clubs - that may not be considered bribery. It very well could be a legal transaction - they're paying for the right to bypass the line, and that options available to all the others too. In such a case, the datqatrail is a non-issue. If only everyone were rich...

[InfinityzeN]

Ok, I put together a little list, with additional information. *Edit: Updated*

Da List...
Cash (UCAS Dollars, CAS Dollars, Pound, Euros, Yen, Won, Yuan, Corp Script, etc)
Cert Cred (the stick is king)
Casino Chips (Normally only people "In the Know" will know what they are)
"Pay Chummer" (Create 'spoofed' account, add money to it from Cert Cred or Shadow Bank, pay to theirs)
Gold Coins/Bars (1oz bars/coins of 99.999% are worth 2~2.5 thousand Nuyen in my game and ~$900 today)
BTLs/Cal Hots/Hong Kongs (Cal Hots and Hong Kongs are semi-legal)
Drugs (Derms/Pills and other single units work best. Powder or leaves not so well)
Joy Girls/Strippers ("Candy, why don't you show Mr. Smith a good time...")
Entertainment Data (On chip. Movies, porn, music, etc. Often very old or not released yet. Target dependent)
Event Tickets (Hardcopy tickets are still used for several events, harder to fake then softcopy. Target dependent)
Pure Organic Chocolate (Chocolate is king, but other pure organic food stuffs may work to. Target dependent)
Cigarettes (Kinda bulky in quantity, but even singles help with a fast talk roll)
Expensive Cigars (Good hand rolled ones, in neutral gas filled sealed tubes. Target dependent)
Ammo (The good stuff is expensive. Enough for a mag is pretty small, but valuable. Target dependent)

A note on 'Pay Chummer', everyone just about has them in my game if they order from anyone of the online bidding/auction sites or are in the know with how good they are for sneaky stuff. Just make sure you make an account filled from a Cert Cred or a Shadow Bank and never actually pull money from it to one of your other accounts.

[Browncoatone]

Ok, the Pay Chummer idea might actually work- I'm always leary of anything connected to the matrix. But an additional question:

Does Nuyen come in cash? As in physical paper and/or plastic bills and/or coins?

I know that CAS and CFS dollars have a physical printing but I've never read anything that referenced paper nuyen. It was always "certified" credit.

[Medicineman]

IIRC ¥ is an electronic Currency. No Hard Cash

Hough !
Medicineman

[InfinityzeN]

I'll dump that, but it was just a list. There are lots of different forms of currency out that.

[Draco18s]

I believe there is still some hard currency nuyen floating around, but its extrememly rare.

[Kanada Ten]

Nah, nuyen is strictly electronic. Zurich-Orbital Gemeinschaftsbank being the reserve...

[Adarael]

Yeah, but I think the UCAS Dollar has a paper form, and I'm dead positive some of the European nations have hard currency still in play. The GBP, for one.

[Dreadlord]

There is also Corporate scrip. Not as good as nuyen, but it has some value on the black market, usually.

[InfinityzeN]

Listed all those named paper bills, plus the ones from the pac rim.

[the_real_elwood]

Even if you don't use any paper cash, just trade goods for favors. I like the idea of slipping a fine Cuban cigar into the bouncers pocket as he lets you skip the line to get into the club. It even makes the roleplaying aspect a little more interesting. If you frequent an establishment and want treatment like that, you've got to talk to the people you want to bribe to find out what they like. You know, no use slipping a cigar to a guy who doesn't smoke.

[InfinityzeN]

Exactly!

And goods for favors is actually easier for the target to swallow then cash, since it doesn't "Feel Like a Bribe". The man who would get pissed off if you offered him cash or require a thousand cred, most likely will be perfectly happy to do you the favor for a $50 cigar or a datachip filled with classic Anime (or whatever else his hobby/likes are).

The Army has something called "Drug Deals", which is trading goods for other goods or favors.

[Degausser]

The expantion book Arsenal has some suggestions for bribes without datatrails. Some have already been mentioned.

1) Credsticks

2) Bartering. Offer the bouncer at the door a shiny new (clean) commlink or smartgoggles or whatever.

3) Corperate Scrip, anonymous"Corp Cash," like nuyen, but you can only buy stuff from that corp.

4) Favors, can't forget favors.

5) Corp bonds. Like Scrip, they are anonymous and they mature over time.

6) Precious metals. Admittedly not the best solution, but what bouncer in their right mind wouldn't let you if if you slip him 50 grams. of gold?

[Kanada Ten]

...Or Asmando Blood Diamonds. Course, start slipping Spanish doubloons in people's pockets like the Count of Monte Cristo and you are painting a pretty big bullseye. Which maybe the whole point.

[imperialus]

Actually in my campaigns silver, gold (and especially orichalcum) see extensive use in the grey and black market. The value has actually gone up quite considerably since Geneva turned into 4Chan.

Microscales with built in purity analysis are a pretty common sight among higher end fixers and smugglers.

[BishopMcQ]

You may also want to read Chapter 2 in Runner's Companion--specifically the section on Smuggling and Travel. Bribery and several other social options were covered--getting into a nightclub is easier than getting through Customs but some of the same techniques can be used.

[TBRMInsanity]

Actually in my campaigns silver, gold (and especially orichalcum) see extensive use in the grey and black market. The value has actually gone up quite considerably since Geneva turned into 4Chan.

I would agree. Gold always talks, since the first days of civilization. You drop a couple of gold nuggets into somone's pocket and they will do what you want. Gold is traceless, legal, and valuable (all the criteria for bribe money).

[Wasabi]

Another option is from an underground numbered credit account to underground numbered credit account. (also avail in a one-time only version)

For more details see Unwired, p93, right column.
These services are listed as being offered by some Black MSP's like Pusan Undernet [Unwired, p85] although I imagine Swiss and Jamaican Banks are probably in on the biz for *cough* 'select executives'.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[hobgoblin]

the trick about gold and similar is that they have a value in themselves(tho less now then iin earlier times), credsitcks, poker chips and paper money are nothing more then a iou note...

[Heath Robinson]

the trick about gold and similar is that they have a value in themselves(tho less now then iin earlier times), credsitcks, poker chips and paper money are nothing more then a iou note...

Say what?

Nothing has any intrinsic value. Nothing. People like to pretend things do, but it's a filthy lie. The worth of anything is as much as someone is willing to give you for it, or for what you make using it. The "iou" currency is backed by a big group that will honour it. Don't dismiss it just because of that. People who aren't that group will honour it because they know the other group will honour it.

Money is only a bad choice because you both agree that a dollar is worth a dollar. People value goods and services more than their price, otherwise they wouldn't pay for them. Ergo, it's cheaper to pay in goods and services that you know the person wants. If you get the choice wrong, then it's worse than money. Rather hit and miss.

[hobgoblin]

gold can be used to make things, poker chips and paper cant...