用八達通洗黑錢
用八達通使（花）錢，不止是消費那麼簡單，也可以是洗黑錢。八達通 (Octopus) 具備儲值 (Store value) 功能，可以用作洗黑錢工具。從鄰近地區犯罪份子的角度看，八達通的優勢在於：
1. 只要不超越儲值上限（最新數字是港幣三千元），（不記名）租用八達通無須提供個人資料，可以避開偉大祖國常用的「實名制」。萬一你不知道甚麼叫「實名制」，請上網。
2. 個人可以持有幾多張八達通，暫時沒有上限。公開的資料顯示，港人平均持有四張八達通。曾經有小巴司機同時持有二十一張長者八達通，動機是騙取官府提供的交通津貼，最後因為被運輸署的公務員發現那些使用量來自甚少長者出動的深宵時段，結果被抓到，請參考＜延伸閱讀＞部份提供的資料。
3. 滲透率和覆蓋率高，非常方便。八達通於 1997 年正式推出，最初應用於不同公共交通系統作付費用途，今日已經覆蓋至零售層面，很多大型連鎖集團都接受，包括：兩大超市（百佳＋惠康）和兩大藥房（屈臣氏＋萬寧），應用範圍更覆蓋至澳門及深圳，為往來香港、澳門及深圳的犯罪份子提供方便。
做法很簡單：只要犯罪集團具備足夠數量的人頭，每人持有多張（不記名）八達通，把需要清洗的資金分拆成很多份，而每份的金額不超過儲值上限（港幣三千元），把錢注入很多張八達通，再向零售商購買在大陸有龐大需求的商品（例如：奶粉＋藥物），然後透過網上交易平台（例如：淘寶）出售，套回資金，再透過互聯網整合以及轉移至第三地，就可以把黑錢清洗乾淨。對，人海戰術＋組織動員，這是鄰近地區的慣技。透過互聯網洗黑錢，有助避開監管以及跨越國界。
八達通作為電子付費工具，是明搶銀行業的生意（原因：協助消費者處理金錢交易是商業銀行的功能），所以高層來自銀行界（提示：張耀堂），一定明白上述的洗黑錢風險，也懂得設立內部監控程序，無須過氣金融從業員（即是 Auntie）提醒，以上文字是寫給外行人看的。問題是：每日經八達通處理的交易成千上萬，內部監控程序又能發揮多大的作用？每日有幾多漏網之魚，自己想。
洩漏使用者的私隱
撇開洗黑錢問題不論，八達通的另一個風險，是洩漏使用者的私隱。某日路過本地大學的學生會，拿了一本抗爭手冊，圖畫多文字少，但是切中要害，小朋友說：參加街頭抗爭運動之後，回家的路程切勿使用八達通，記得準備足夠的現金支付交通費，以免不幸被警察抓到，Popo （黃絲用語：警察）透過閣下錢包內的八達通追查到你的行蹤或生活習慣，日後會有手尾跟。所以中年黃絲支持年輕黃絲的方法之一，是自掏腰包向小朋友派發現金，又或者用自己的私家車接送年輕黃絲回家（黃絲用語：接放學，英文版：Pick up after school）。
台灣人寫的文章這樣說：當代消費盛行電子支付，雖然帶來方便，但是也暴露了個人隱私，除了國家治理的運作（搜尋：George Orwell＋1984），同時也成為企業蒐集大數據的商機。消費者等於是一頭牛，同時被剝了兩層皮。明白未？
結論：電子支付工具既為官府監控市民舖路，同時也為需要洗黑錢的犯罪集團服務，稱得上是雙重間諜或雙面魔獸。表面上利民，其實是剝削小市民，應該小心使用。高科技監控技術日趨成熟（提示：人面識別），我們距離 George Orwell 名著 1984 所描寫的極權社會越來越近。鄰近地區的電子貨幣普及，向非現金社會 (Cashless Society) 進發，是否代表「進步」，自己想。
插圖來源：
https://www.td.gov.hk/en/transport_in_hong_kong/its/its_achievements/octopus/index.html
延伸閱讀／參考資料：
八達通儲值額 上限增至 3000元
明報 2019 年 11 月 30 日
https://news.mingpao.com/
節錄：電子支付競爭日益加劇，八達通密密出招冀再搶佔市場份額，八達通昨日宣布，下月 1 日起所有八達通的儲值限額，由 1,000 元增加至 3,000 元，另外客戶在 30 多個商戶，包括 SOGO、百佳、惠康、屈臣氏、7-Eleven 及萬寧等，每次交易金額亦可增至 3,000 元。八達通補充，12 月 1 日起新發出的八達通產品，儲值限額均為 3,000 元，未來將會有更多八達通商戶支援最高 3,000 元的交易金額。八達通行政總裁張耀堂表示，八達通由最初通用於公共交通工具上，但目前支付範圍現已廣泛地擴展至零售，故此集團提升八達通的儲值限額及交易金額，滿足客戶與日俱增的消費需要。
八達通官方網站
https://www.octopus.com.hk/tc/consumer/octopus-cards/about/index.html
節錄：八達通卡是一款非接觸式儲值卡，為用戶提供簡單又方便安全的付款方式。八達通於 1997 年正式推出，最初用於不同公共交通系統作付費用途。今天，市面流通的八達通卡已超過 3,500 萬張，全港 99% 的市民在搭乘交通、購物消費或外出用膳時可以八達通代替輔幣付款，生活更輕鬆方便。八達通卡具備安全、可靠及耐用的優點，並設有不同種類選擇，包括租用版八達通、銷售版八達通、銀行聯營八達通、跨境八達通、結合八達通功能的八達通流動電話卡及 Smart Octopus in Samsung Pay 。租用版八達通分為不記名八達通及個人八達通，並提供成人、長者及小童種類選擇。八達通卡的應用範圍更覆蓋到澳門及深圳，為頻繁於深港澳三地來往的市民帶來更多方便。
Become the Merchant of Octopus App for Business
https://www.octopus.com.hk/en/business/faq/octopus-for-businesses/business-octopus-app.html
Extract: For merchant due diligence purpose in accordance with the Guideline on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (for Stored Value Facilities Licensees), you need to submit all the document proofs to open a Business O! ePay account.
Octopus cash limit to triple to HK$3,000 in bold move that could change our shopping habits
Nikki Sun & Dennis Tsang
SCMP (8 March 2016)
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/1922550/octopus-cash-limit-triple-hk3000-bold-move-could-change-our
Extract: The legal limit on the amount of money that can be stored on Octopus cards will rise threefold to HK$3,000 per card when the company running the payment system renews its licence in November, according to its chief executive Sunny Cheung Yiu-tong. But the card issuer has yet to decide when to take advantage of the new limit as it needs to iron out technical problems and consider consumer protection issues, he said.
Each Hongkonger currently holds an average of almost four Octopus cards. The cards, which are widely used to pay fares on public transport, shop at supermarkets or convenience stores and pay at car parks, are governed by a regulatory regime, a revision of which will take effect in November. Octopus Holdings, which has been operating the system for 19 years and issued 30 million cards, is currently calling on about two million holders of first-generation cards to turn them in for free upgrades.
HKMA's first stored-value licenses out
Daisy Wu
The Standard (26 Aug 2016)
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=173311
Extract: The Hong Kong Monetary Authority issued the first batch of stored-value-facility (SVF) licenses yesterday to Alipay Financial, HKT Payment, Money Data that operates WeChat Pay, TNG Asia and Octopus Cards. Apple Pay is not subject to the licensing regulation as it is linked to credit cards, instead of storing money itself. To tackle money laundering, users need to register with their real-name cards of the licensed SVFs - so far only applying to Octopus and HKT's Tap&Go - if they store more than HK$3,000 in their cards. A maximum stored value of HK$8,000 is set for non-reloadable online or mobile accounts that can be exempted from a real-name registration requirement. The real-name requirement for reloadable accounts will be based on annual transaction amounts. Guidelines will be launched next month.
Hong Kong minibus driver arrested for using senior citizen Octopus cards to rack up HK$150,000
Christy Leung & Clifford Lo
SCMP (11 Dec 2015)
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1889638/hong-kong-minibus-driver-arrested-using-senior-citizen
Extract: A minibus driver accused of cheating the government out of HK$150,000 by using senior citizen Octopus cards was arrested in the early hours yesterday. The 49-year-old driver of a green-topped minibus was picked up after police intercepted his vehicle in Wong Tai Sin at about 12.30 am on Thursday. Officers seized 21 senior citizen Octopus cards from him. He was suspected of using the cards 7,500 times over the past six months to take advantage of government subsidies in its concession scheme designed for seniors and people with disabilities.
The concession scheme launched in mid-2012. Under the scheme, elderly persons aged 65 or older and disabled persons can take most modes of public transport by paying HK$2 per trip with an Octopus card. Government returns the rest of the fare to the operators. The scheme was extended to most green minibus routes in March this year. The driver, who claimed to have worked for two years, operated the overnight 501S route between Kwun Tong and Sheung Shui and charged HK$22.5 per ride. The government provided an HK$20.5 subsidy each time a senior card was used. As the driver racked up charges, the unusually high number of senior citizens reflected as taking minibuses late at night caught the attention of the Transport Department, which immediately referred the case to police.
The Guardian
1984 by George Orwell – review
‘Orwell’s novella is a warning for the human race’
Sun 29 May 2016 12.00 BSTLast modified on Wed 20 Sep 201710.59 BST
https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2016/may/29/1984-george-orwell-review
Extract: 1984 is a dystopian novella by George Orwell published in 1949, which follows the life of Winston Smith, a low ranking member of ‘the Party’, who is frustrated by the omnipresent eyes of the party, and its ominous ruler Big Brother. ‘Big Brother’ controls every aspect of people’s lives. It has invented the language ‘Newspeak’ in an attempt to completely eliminate political rebellion; created ‘Throughtcrimes’ to stop people even thinking of things considered rebellious. The party controls what people read, speak, say and do with the threat that if they disobey, they will be sent to the dreaded Room 101 as a looming punishment.
Orwell effectively explores the themes of mass media control, government surveillance, totalitarianism and how a dictator can manipulate and control history, thoughts, and lives in such a way that no one can escape it. The protagonist, Winston Smith, begins a subtle rebellion against the party by keeping a diary of his secret thoughts, which is a deadly thoughtcrime. With his lover Julia, he begins a foreordained fight for freedom and justice, in a world where no one else appears to see, or dislike, the oppression the protagonist opposes. Perhaps the most powerful, effective and frightening notion of 1984 is that the complete control of an entire nation under a totalitarian state is perfectly possible.
The Pros and Cons of Moving to a Cashless Society
Justin Pritchard (August 28, 2019)
https://www.thebalance.com/pros-and-cons-of-moving-to-a-cashless-society-4160702
Extract: A cashless society might sound like something out of science fiction, but we’re already on our way. Several powerful forces are behind the move to a cash-free world, including governments and large financial services companies. Even critics of the mainstream financial system and government-issued currencies favor doing away with cash. But we’re not there yet. In addition to logistical challenges, we need to address several social issues before giving up on cash entirely. The benefits and disadvantages below can give you an idea of the myriad of effects going cashless can have on money and banking as you know it.
如果贏者全拿，我們還剩下什麼？ —《巷仔口社會學 3 序言》
發佈日期: 2019/12/03 作者: 巷仔口社會學
潘美玲／交通大學人文社會學系
王宏仁／中山大學社會學系
https://twstreetcorner.org/2019/12/03/panmeilinwanghongzen/
節錄：如果我們認為自由市場是唯一的經濟制度安排，這種視野將會把人類變成狹隘的經濟人，從而將人類困在市場經濟的牢籠當中 ―― 少數資本家拿走利益，人類卻集體賠上社會整合、自然環境，以及人的自由與尊嚴。看似更方便的金融生活，其實也徹底改變國際或社會關係，一不小心國家或個人就會陷入負債。借錢非常方便，缺錢中國就借給你，還不出來，就把斯里蘭卡的港口收歸自己所有；信用卡債務還不出來，討債公司、司法體系就會上門來，逼得你發瘋或出門流浪。我們當然清楚消費社會的遊戲、背後的經濟邏輯，但事情可能比你想的還要複雜。在當代消費開始盛行電子支付，雖然帶來方便，但也暴露了個人隱私，除了國家治理的運作，同時也成為企業蒐集大數據的商機，消費者等於是一頭牛，同時被剝了兩層皮。
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