Bitcoin Forum

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Q: My account was hacked! What do I do?
A: See this thread: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=497545.0 (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=497545.0). When PMing the signed message, send it in [code ][/code ] brackets (just without the space at the end). For example,


If you don't know how to sign a message, google for some tutorials with terms like: "signing messages with <insert your bitcoin client name here>". For example, "signing messages with bitcoin-qt".

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PM me your bitcoin address so you can recover your account if it's hacked.

The quote below explains how to recover your account if it's hacked, but you need to have posted a bitcoin address you control in either a pm, or a post here. Also you can use a bitcoin address if its associated with your profile.

It's against the forum rules to spam threads with addresses, so pm me a bitcoin address you control, and make a note of the pm ID because you will also need that to prove your ownership of our account.

If you use any sort of Google email service, then the password recovery email will go to your spam folder.

If you want me to recover a hacked/lost account, you need to prove that you own it. Typically, the only acceptable method of proving ownership is by signing a message (including current date and desired new email address) using a Bitcoin address or PGP key associated with the account. A Bitcoin address or PGP key is associated with the account only if the account posted the key/address, sent it in a PM, or if it is still listed in the account's profile.

I very rarely recover accounts if you can't prove ownership as described above. There are alternative ways of proving ownership, but they take too much time. If I point you to this thread, you can't prove ownership properly, and then I ignore your future PMs, this means that I'm not going to recover your account. Create a new one.

When sending me a PM, use a template like this:

Quote
-----BEGIN BITCOIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----
My account <account> has been hacked/lost. Please reset the email to <email>. The current date is <date>.
-----BEGIN SIGNATURE-----
<insert address here>
<insert signature here>
-----END BITCOIN SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Here is the unedited post where I posted that address: ...
OR
I sent that address to someone in a PM with PM ID#...

All required info must be in one PM.

Do not create your temporary account using the same email address you want for the hacked/lost account. No two accounts can have the same email address.

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And why should we PM you, a newbie, when the thread that quote links to says to PM theymos?

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This is the entire point of the Stake your Bitcoin Address thread here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=996318.0 except instead of PMing the bitcoin address to a newbie, your address and a signed message is posted publicly, quoted for records, and verified by multiple trusted members of the community.

This is the entire point of the Stake your Bitcoin Address thread here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=996318.0 except instead of PMing the bitcoin address to a newbie, your address and a signed message is posted publicly, quoted for records, and verified by multiple trusted members of the community.

That code snippet has to do with deleted posts, not PMs.

PMs are deleted from the database when the sender and all recipients delete it. If this doesn't happen, then it's not deleted. There is no expiration. PMs can also end up stored long-term in the forum's periodic database backups.

On this forum, topics and replies are never truly deleted, and edits are also logged.

That thread you linked to requires a high level of computer literacy to participate. I don't want to learn how to sign messages, all I want is something fast and simple I can do to help me recover my account if its hacked.

Thanks for the link.

There's no harm in using the belt and braces approach though. Anyone who wants to pm me their address is welcome to. I'll still have a copy if someone hacks your account and deletes all your pms.