From: "Rich Gauszka" 

Wonder what the coins would go for on eBay?

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/01/11/coin-spy.html

"On at least three separate occasions between October 2005 and January
2006, cleared defence contractors' employees travelling through Canada have
discovered radio frequency transmitters embedded in Canadian coins placed
on their persons," reads the brief explanation in the U.S. Defence
Security Service report.

Jeff Richelson, a researcher and author of books about the CIA, was
skeptical of the incident, saying coins would be a poor choice as a
tracking device because of their high turnover rate.

"It wouldn't seem to be the best place to put something like that;
you'd want to put it in something that wouldn't be left behind or
spent," said Richelson.

"It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense."

An unnamed U.S. official also told the Globe and Mail the incidents have
been blown out of proportion, saying odd-looking Canadian coins triggered
suspicions but that the fears were groundless.

But the U.S. Defence Security Service, which works with defence contractors
to protect them from espionage, defended its findings.

"What's in the report is true," said Martha Deutscher, a
spokeswoman for the security service, who admitted a classified version of
the report has more details. "This is indeed a sanitized version,
which leaves a lot of questions."

The report doesn't detail who might be tracking the defence contractors,
how the ruse was discovered or any detail about how the transmitters
functioned.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said it knew nothing of the incidents.

"This issue has just come to our attention," CSIS spokeswoman
Barbara Campion told CBC News Online. "At this point, we don't know of
any basis for these claims.

"Canadian agencies, including CSIS, work closely with their U.S.
counterparts to address potential threats. If further action is required on
this issue, we will follow up with U.S. counterparts," she said.

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