# Is this possibly illegal and will it work altogether? (money transfer) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 7, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768 "2018-05-07T16:56:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/21 "2018-05-08T16:41:32Z")
Yo did note that the OP has been cagey about answering basic questions, liek what country, right? ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/22 "2018-05-08T16:50:47Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yo did note that the OP has been cagey about answering basic questions, liek what country, right? Probably North Korea! You are so hung up on proving that you didn’t simply misread the context of one comment that you’re now going to pick over his comments for some narrative that he’s trying to launder ill-gotten gains through ATMs a few banknotes at a time? “Sure buddy” indeed. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/23 "2018-05-08T16:53:01Z")
Not sure about the legalities but it would seem like he can give your son some local currency and he can spend that, you can take that money you would have deposited to your son’s account and sent it to where ever this friend wants. Another possible route is Bitcoin. There are fees and volatility (and the chance that the whole system goes ‘down the toilet’ in a heartbeat) but can overcome political boarders in many places and if done within a hour or so prices are semi-stable enough unless you are either lucky or unlucky. Again not sure about the legalities. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/24 "2018-05-08T16:56:36Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yo did note that the OP has been cagey about answering basic questions, liek what country, right? Cagey? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/25 "2018-05-08T16:58:27Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Cagey? He has been asked directly and replied to that post, but did not answer which nation. To me, that’s 'cagey". Would you prefer “evasive”? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/26 "2018-05-08T17:19:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > He has been asked directly and replied to that post, but did not answer which nation. > > To me, that’s 'cagey". Would you prefer “evasive”? Guarded, cautious, wary, noncommittal, tight-lipped, or reticent. Cagey is a word Dashiell Hammett might use in a hard-boiled detective novel. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/27 "2018-05-08T17:28:38Z")
IIRC, **DrDeth** has professional experience in matters related to banking and transfers. If he says that Person A giving Person B cash in the foreign country, and then Person C withdrawing Person B’s funds from Person B’s account to use to the benefit of Person A is a risky thing, I’d believe him. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/28 "2018-05-08T17:34:56Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Guarded, cautious, wary, noncommittal, tight-lipped, or reticent. Cagey is a word Dashiell Hammett might use in a hard-boiled detective novel. Ok, I will accept any of those. Altho I do like Hammett. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/29 "2018-05-08T17:35:58Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > IIRC, **DrDeth** has professional experience in matters related to banking and transfers. If he says that Person A giving Person B cash in the foreign country, and then Person C withdrawing Person B’s funds from Person B’s account to use to the benefit of Person A is a risky thing, I’d believe him. Yes, thank you! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/30 "2018-05-08T18:24:04Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Ok, I will accept any of those. Fine. Now you and your moll jump in your flivver and fade. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/31 "2018-05-08T18:55:55Z")
FWIW, when I wrote the text that DrDeth quoted in post #10, I was responding to a factual question from Riemann - in the text that I quoted - as to _“how much money are we talking about?”_. The context was Riemann’s suggestion - also quoted in that same post - that _“why not just have your relative give your son local currency to cover his needs over there, and you repay your friend in the USD she needs to her bank account in the US”_. I’m unclear on whether DrDeth is asserting that this suggestion involved something illegal, but at any rate this is certainly not an assertion he had already made prior to post #10, since the idea hadn’t been broached prior to Riemann’s post #6, which was after DrDeth’s previous post (#4). In any event, I’m assuming based on FinsToTheLeft (#3) that it can’t be done anyway, which would make the legality of my initial suggestion moot. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/32 "2018-05-08T18:57:47Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > FWIW, \ Look, see…I got a gat here, see… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/33 "2018-05-08T23:47:46Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Fine. > > Now you and your moll jump in your flivver and fade. 23skidoo! ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Mood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Blue\_Mood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Mood)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768/34 "2018-05-09T17:01:08Z")
I use Transferwise. Not sure if your countries are amongst those they cover though… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-possibly-illegal-and-will-it-work-altogether-money-transfer/813768.md?page=1)