You can email them via their support email (on their website).

Or you can post on their ANN thread:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1972805.0

Or send them a PM.

The Mistertango account is linked to this exchange:

http://btc-exchange.com/

When you open a Mistertango account, you will be assigned a static bitcoin address. When you send bitcoins to the address, it will be converted to EUR based on the best possible sell rate shown on the exchange site above.

As for the fee, read through the ANN thread above. I found this post on that thread:

The fee is 0,5%, but no less than 0.005 BTC. Meaning, that you pay at least 0.005 if the transaction amount is less than 1 BTC.

Don't forget escrow. Nobody will or should do this without escrow protection. Never send coins to that address upfront. If you do, you can count on getting burned.

Never give scammers a chance to steal your coins. Stay alert and cautious. It's almost Christmas and thieves are desperate for coins.

Notice the red flags. Semi-new account, btc address advertised to let you all know he wants the coins paid first, 4 days shipping (strange that he knows exactly how long it takes when he doesn't have a buyer yet and a shipping destination to work with).

I already know what this is about but will leave it to everyone's common sense to make an informed and educated decision. Do yourself proud by being a responsible member of the bitcoin community. Giving scammers a chance to enrich themselves is an irresponsible act which is why you should never transact without escrow protection.

Bring someone with you. Meet up at a very public place. Avoid offers to do the deal in a hotel room (even if they insist) or inside a car, especially if they intend to drive somewhere "to get the coins" or "to do the deal in a private location".

A good place would be a bank. If the seller is legit, they will want assurance that your $40k is genuine money. Suggesting a bank is therefore good for both parties. You get to transact safely inside a bank (can't get any safer) and they get to check your money, perhaps by depositing it into their account. Be careful of requests to first get your money and check if it's ok. For example, by depositing it into their account first to see if the bank accepts it and is therefore genuine. Once deposited, they can just walk out of the bank and ignore you.

It's a sensitive element of the transaction, the who-goes-first part. Either you pay them first and when they are happy, they send the coins or they send the coins first to your wallet and if you're happy, you pay them.

Selling in person can be a tricky and risky business. Try to get to know the buyer a bit more before meeting up. Like where he lives, a phone number perhaps, facebook and maybe even googling him.

And lastly, when coins are sent, be sure (and doublecheck!) that they were sent with the correct mining fees. This is very important. If the fees are extremely low, there is a chance the transaction will never confirm and it will return to the sender's wallet. Check for other things like doublespending or if the transaction has previous unconfirmed inputs with very low mining fees.

I'm not sure if it's an ethical thing to do, this investing or re-investing of donated coins and funds. The funds are usually donated to NGOs for a specific purpose and that purpose would have been explicitly mentioned to people who donated. Nobody donates without knowing what the donation is for.

Investing the donation might be a reasonable strategy if there is a clear and conservative plan which assures the safety of the principal or for example if the NGOs projects are being held in abeyance pending regulatory approval of those projects. It would make sense then for an NGO to invest its resources conservatively.

Being a volatile currency, donated BTC is probably best converted immediately to fiat to serve the NGO's work.

It works everywhere. The card is a true embossed and EMV-chipped MasterCard.

The fees are mentioned here:

https://mistertango.com/en/wp-content/uploads/Mistertango-pricelist.pdf

Every month you are allowed to withdraw up to 200 Euros and pay no fees for that transaction. For additional transactions, the usual fee applies. It's all on the link above.

The card is valid for 3 years.

More about this account:

https://mistertango.com/en/bank-account/

They have a nice app which sends you emails alerting you of transactions whenever you use the card.

Be cautious with PM offers from non-locals. I know you are looking for sellers based in Australia but it's always healthy advice to stay alert and careful at all times. There are some non-local scammers who can be very creative and will improvise devious ways to make a quick buck.

If they realize you strictly operate locally, they might find naive locals to act as a conduit for receiving your 40k AUD. It's the classic MITM scam. Be wary of deals that sound too good to be true or when a trade starts getting complicated ("I can't do it, travelling overseas so I suggest my brother or cousin in Broome or Port Hedland deals with you.."). You will notice that they will suggest places that are geographically remote which is intentional to avoid meeting up. To spice things up, they will sweeten the deal by countering your preev + 2.5% offer with much more tempting terms.

With local offers, stay safe. People have been known to meet up and were later assaulted and robbed.

Yes, I have been using Mistertango since August this year. I load the account with bitcoins and use the card at shops and ATMs. I also use the account to send SEPA transfers to my account in Berlin. I know my German bank has a tendency to close accounts linked to bitcoin activities so I don't use it to receive transfers from exchanges such as Kraken or Bitstamp. Instead, what I now do is load bitcoins into my Mistertango account. Then I do a SEPA transfer from that account to my German account. They see it's coming from an account in my name so no questions asked.

To open a Mistertango account you will need to be verified. You can do this online on their app. They won't open an account if you can't provide an acceptable form of identification (usually a passport or EU ID). If you are from the UK, there is no national identity card so I"m sure it would have to be a passport.

If you live in the EU, you can get a visa card if you sign up for a Cryptopay account. If you don't live in Europe, they won't give you the card.

You can also consider getting a Mistertango account. The account comes with a free MasterCard and an fully functional IBAN account. The website is https://mistertango.com/en/

Bad experience with WageCan. I wouldn't recommend buying their card. Expensive fees and pathetic card limits. Customer support is lacking and risk of account blockage even after completing KYC verification.

The Mistertango card works on ATMs and merchants. They ship the cards worldwide and it has decent limits.



 

This is a pyramid scheme. How do you expect them to sustain and maintain this scam with endless outputs of twice the input amounts? I don't understand why someone who has an opportunity to double his income would take the time to advertise here and encourage people to join when it would make more sense spending that time doubling one's own coins.

Assuming this was genuine and I had, say, 1 BTC. I would spend the entire day doubling that 1 BTC exponentially and planning where to spend the coins. The last thing I would do is hang around on this site asking people to "invest" their coins on this dubious doubling system.

Anything that promises to double your wealth in a few hours is shady as heck. The old saying lives true to its word.. there are no free lunches on this planet.

I don't trade but I would advise using vetted exchanges only. And even then, I wouldn't store my coins on such exchanges. Neither would I entrust them with my entire stock of coins if losing them would mean putting yourself (and others such as your family) in a position of severe hardship.

There is a critical difference between using exchanges as a trading platform and as a storage wallet. It's using them for storage of coins which I discourage, knowing they own and keep the private keys and never share them with their customers.

Both Google Auth and Authy are reliable and legit. Just make sure you download them from a reliable source or app store.

I use the 1Password authenticator. The codes are generated within the app and they have strong security protocols protecting the app itself. Using 1Password means I don't have to use multiple apps for password storage and 2FA. They are integrated in the app and I must say it's nicely designed.

The good thing about 1Password is that if you replace or lose your phone, you can reinstall it on another phone. Authy is nice too but SMS fraud and SIM cloning are a real risk these days so I stopped using it. Plus there was a time when I was travelling and accidentally bricked my phone, I bought a new phone and couldn't activate the app. The phone number linked to the app wasn't roaming so I couldn't get the verification code! 8 days of inconvenience.

1Password is also web based which means you can access your passwords and 2FA on any (safe) computer.

I used ViaBTC twice this month. Took some time to confirm but they were reliable. That "Acceleration succeeded" message is a relief to those who are desperate to see their stuck transactions finally confirmed.

Can't comment on other accelerators but confirmtx.com is definitely a fraudulent site. Don't send your $5 to these scammers.

I used the Antpool accelerator too. Sign up at a time when the network was extremely congested but the submitted acceleration seems to have been ignored. The transaction was still unconfirmed the following day. I then turned to ViaBTC which was a lifesaver. Granted their 100 tx limit per hour is a royal pain to deal with but with a little patience and extra effort, it works if submitted within seconds before or after the hour. Be sure to use system time, accurate to the second. If your system clock is not calibrated correctly, you can rely on this: https://time.is/GMT

PayPal is a time tested tool for those who want free and quick money. Fraudsters have learned to take full and shameless advantage of the reversibility factor and PayPal's anti-btc tendencies.

Despite the cons of using PayPal as a payment method for bitcoin, it is arguably still one of the best ways for paying legitimate merchants such as airlines, for example when buying things like airline tickets or booking hotel accommodation. Their wide and global acceptance is still an unparalleled plus and is a major advantage many appreciate and enjoy. I especially like the peace of mind PayPal offers when storing credit card details on their secure platforms and paying merchants without fear of revealing sensitive credit card information.

It's probably still the safest and most convenient way to transfer money to family members and friends.

With strangers however, it's a totally different story. The reversible nature of PayPal payments, coupled with 180 days to dispute transactions, makes PayPal an extremely risky form of payment for bitcoin trades. $2000 is a lot of money. How can you guarantee that you will not pull off a fast one?

If it's of any comfort, threads like this help educate others of the risks in trading on their platform. This is the power of information. 3 BTC will not last them forever. The more people are made aware of their dishonesty, the less victims they will have to steal from. I suggest you keep this thread alive and bumped with updates. Others should be forewarned of their nefarious operation.

If they unwilling to negotiate, then this sends a signal that they would rather lose you as a customer than pay out $60k worth of coins. Granted 3 BTC is a calculably stronger motivator for them, especially if they are struggling to attract more revenue or they have high overhead costs, it will be hard for them to stay afloat while maintaining a cycle of stealing from their customers.

On the other hand, if they come to their senses and decide to resolve this issue in your favor, don't forget to update this thread. It's always good to read about happy endings.

Willing to "ship" internationally. What is this? An iPhone?

Let me guess.. no escrow? You want the coins sent to you first (upfront) with no middle man or mediator whatsoever. And in the rare chance that you give in and say yes to escrow, who will it be? I'm dying to know.

30 pictures are all nice and lovely and cute but the "willing to ship internationally" without escrow is definitely a no no. That's a major red flag.

Escrow is indispensable and required. No payment upfront. Not even a deposit or shipping costs. The entire bitcoins must be held by a reputable escrow. Is this an option? Again, I'm dying to know.

For this to be worth considering, escrow is a must and not one satoshi must be paid upfront. The usual scam strategy is to ask a small fraction of the total price as a deposit with the balance to follow after delivery of the car. What the buyer doesn't know is the smaller amount is the scammer's target from the very beginning. The higher bitcoin amount is a bonus if the naive victim agrees to up the deposit.

I'm not saying you will do this but it's just a scenario every buyer should consider.

The problem with using MasterCard or Visa cards is the risk of payment being reversed later (after you get the bitcoins). Most traders, sellers and exchanges are cautious when offered a payment method which is prone to being misused or when there is high incidence of fraud. Cards are included in that category.

There is another risk which is phished and stolen cards.

If you can successfully pass the identity requirements of some traders and exchanges, they might let you buy coins and pay for them with your Payoneer card but I think they will impose low buy limits. It will take time before they allow you to buy more coins if they see a pattern of settled payments with no chargebacks.

There is another payment processor known as Simplex. I see there are open issues from people complaining of non delivery of coins but it might be because Simplex is erring on the side of caution and doing extra checks to make sure the cards are good and not compromised. Simplex is a legit payment processor.

Transfers, especially when confirmed, are final and irrevocable. After looking at the thief's address, the bitcoins are definitely gone.

Securing bitcoins should be taught here and reminders should be posted and bumped to serve as a reminder for those who forget how to safeguard valuables. Coins are money and they have to be secured in the same way you keep money safely. I have been posting here countless times, often like a broken radio, about the importance of storing coins in a wallet with private keys you and you alone know, own and control. Storing them on an exchange opens opportunities for predators, scammers and opportunistic thieves.

It's not just the wallet which must be secured and fortified with anti-theft tools such as 2FA, strong passwords and IP geolocking (if available) but also the device which hosts that wallet. No public WiFi, no third party keyboards, no apps from unknown developers.

Email accounts must be secured too. A strong 2FA system is just as important for email accounts. A strong and unique password should be used. Never ever secure your email account with a password identical to the one you use for Bitcointalk or other online wallets and exchanges or any site prone to being hacked.

Looks like the thief has been busy and did well with his thievery. Lots of inputs and outputs there.

Very sorry for your loss. Those coins are permanently gone. Learn from this expensive nightmare and try to rebuild your financial life in a safer and more responsible way. Don't expose your keys and email credentials to anyone.

That’s a very atypical and rare approach to resolving open issues and problems here. Most exchanges give their customers the silent treatment and rarely take the time to offer support on this site. Thanks Sarah, this is a welcome change to the usual pattern of events here. Most exchanges and payment processors show little to no consideration for their customers’ plight and leave them wondering and worrying for days and weeks and even indefinitely.

I hope the above issues will be resolved genuinely and that there will be a positive outcome to report here for a change.

If you happen to find a "hassleless" exchange, it is an exchange to be wary of and to keep a safe distance from. That's because exchanges with relaxed rules and anonymous operations are typically those that operate without the proper credentials and the trust of the community at large. The less hassle you expect from them, the more hassle they will later give you. This is the golden rule to remember before you sign up for an exchange account.

Keep this post of mine in mind and if you ignore it, come back later and let us all know. I'll be here and will try my best to offer some comforting words.

 

Always use escrow. Don't weaken your guard and give in to sending first or even sending incrementally (for example, half first and the other half later). Be sure to use a reputable and seasoned escrow here (yes, zazarb is a good choice) and make sure escrow instructions are confirmed and verified. Never blindly rely on screen shots or copy/paste escrow instructions.

Escrow is the key to a safe transaction. Scammers hate it because if done correctly, escrow makes stealing as difficult as literally moving mountains.