Problems with bitcoin-24.com WARNING! UPDATE!

[numo]

1. simon closes btc24 -> tell a good story
2. takes our bitcoins and sells them on other exchanges while the price is falling
3. waiting some days/weeks
4. buy back all those BTC for cheaper money
5. open btc24 again with all funds -> no harm to the users
6. profit!

This kind of operation would be easily traceable on blockchain.info - the address(es) of cold wallet(s) are not exactly secret.

[Amitabh S]

Not only is there harm to the rightful owners of those bitcoins/euros, but also to the bitcoin economy as a whole. Exchange randomly goes down. Owner not responding, keeping our btc hostage. Lots of negative publicity, price drop. The damage is done.

[Hei_]

bitcoin-24 is just an scam. heard tons of stories behind it

[Beutelschneider]

Not only is there harm to the rightful owners of those bitcoins/euros, but also to the bitcoin economy as a whole. Exchange randomly goes down. Owner not responding, keeping our btc hostage. Lots of negative publicity, price drop. The damage is done.

IMHO this all might do some unrecoverable damage to the BTC

[Hei_]

Not only is there harm to the rightful owners of those bitcoins/euros, but also to the bitcoin economy as a whole. Exchange randomly goes down. Owner not responding, keeping our btc hostage. Lots of negative publicity, price drop. The damage is done.

IMHO this all might do some unrecoverable damage to the BTC

but all that coz of shitty trading sites

we need a site like mtgox where you have to deposit cash first, and trades gone instand

[Beutelschneider]

I've sent a telefax message (ol'style ) to the state attorneys office in Bremen, requesting the file number under that this case is handled (money laundering/seizure of bank accounts) and his lawyer.

Due to german privacy laws i might not get the info about the lawyers he is "working" with, but only the file number should work without involving a lawyer from my side. But since they got an official request from me, they have to answer, and i'm gonna post this answer after removing my personal details!

[Apraksin]

I've sent a telefax message (ol'style ) to the state attorneys office in Bremen, requesting the file number under that this case is handled (money laundering/seizure of bank accounts) and his lawyer.

Due to german privacy laws i might not get the info about the lawyers he is "working" with, but only the file number should work without involving a lawyer from my side. But since they got an official request from me, they have to answer, and i'm gonna post this answer after removing my personal details!

Very nice! We need some confirmation and progress.

[amiracle2]

never heard about this site. Shouldn't trust any site that not known by public.

[Apraksin]

never heard about this site. Shouldn't trust any site that not known by public.

Well, it was the site with the second largest volume of transactions after gox, so I wouldn´t say it was totaly unknown to the public.

[michaelGedi]

never heard about this site. Shouldn't trust any site that not known by public.

but all that coz of shitty trading sites

we need a site like mtgox where you have to deposit cash first, and trades gone instand

bitcoin-24 is just an scam. heard tons of stories behind it

what's with these shitty unsubstantial whimsical noob comments? - if you have nothing to do with this problem keep your comments to yourself and go post your shit somewhere else...

I've sent a telefax message (ol'style ) to the state attorneys office in Bremen, requesting the file number under that this case is handled (money laundering/seizure of bank accounts) and his lawyer.

Due to german privacy laws i might not get the info about the lawyers he is "working" with, but only the file number should work without involving a lawyer from my side. But since they got an official request from me, they have to answer, and i'm gonna post this answer after removing my personal details!

Very nice! We need some confirmation and progress.

+1   where shall we maintain contact?

this forum?

http://yellowcoins.com/forum/index.php?/forum/6-bitcoin-24/

or this current forum, in perhaps a new thread?

or maybe this site?

http://btc24-help.com/


we need one solid line of communication for everyone! - it's getting hard to keep up with all the threads...

[Beutelschneider]

+1   where shall we maintain contact?

this forum?

http://yellowcoins.com/forum/index.php?/forum/6-bitcoin-24/

or this current forum, in perhaps a new thread?

or maybe this site?

http://btc24-help.com/

we need one solid line of communication for everyone! - it's getting hard to keep up with all the threads...

I will remove my personal data and crosspost the infos here, reddit, yellowcoins and bitcoin.de ASAP i get the answer from the attorneys office! So everyone will get it!

btw, can someone who is a pro in blockchains and stuff get back to me in PM? i have VERY sensitive question and since suspicious ppl are lurking i won't mind or discuss it here!

[2weiX]

I've sent a telefax message (ol'style ) to the state attorneys office in Bremen, requesting the file number under that this case is handled (money laundering/seizure of bank accounts) and his lawyer.

Due to german privacy laws i might not get the info about the lawyers he is "working" with, but only the file number should work without involving a lawyer from my side. But since they got an official request from me, they have to answer, and i'm gonna post this answer after removing my personal details!

+5000

[biskup123]

To be honest, I couldn't trust this exchange from the beginning as they didn't charge any commision on transactions, so how the hell they could make money then? By stealing from people, of course!  
Apart from this, no verification of personal data was needed upon registration, very strange when it comes to dealing with money.

[donjoe]

what's with these shitty unsubstantial whimsical noob comments? - if you have nothing to do with this problem keep your comments to yourself and go post your shit somewhere else...

What he said. If you don't have any assets blocked on bitcoin-24.com, you can either help solve the problem or GTFO.

[michaelGedi]

To be honest, I couldn't trust this exchange from the beginning as they didn't charge any commision on transactions, so how the hell they could make money then? By stealing from people, of course!  
Apart from this, no verification of personal data was needed upon registration, very strange when it comes to dealing with money.

so far I just believe that he was very unprofessional, and still is... we should've spotted it.


I might be wrong of course

[shantee]

He is TOTALLY unprofessional that's a fact we can't deny. He hasn't been before this problem and he is still not now, far from it.
That's absolutely not the way he should deal with this situation. Whatever problem he is facing what we need now is information ! Yeah , well I know it's also our money back whether it's BTC or Eur/Usd...but since it appears we can't have it for the moment he should give us news about this whole situation.

I know it's nothing much but a simple letter of apologies sent to every member would have been a good things ! He could have also included in that very letter a link to a site / forum thread / whatever  / where we could follow the evolution of the situation , ask questions and eventually help him (since this guy is obviously not able to deal with this whole thing)

So yes he is a moron, i don't mean by this that he is a bad person nor a thief, but the way he handles this situation seems a little stupid to me.
That said , and believe me I am myself also quite pissed off , and worried and disgusted about this btc24 situation, I can't say that he is a scammer for the moment ( i might be a little naive though) .

If next monday nothing has changed and if we still don't have any "solid news", if we are still not able to withdraw AT LEAST our BTC ! (btw that's one thing i don't understand. Why can't we do it now ?..but well ok let him some time) ..Then yes i guess it should be time to consider him a scammer and take proper actions.    

[Newscastix]

Second day without news... not so sure anymore how this plays out....

At least there is some BTC to be made with this:

Bet on the outcome of this drama:

http://betsofbitco.in/item?id=1526

Maybe i'll recover some losses...

This bet ONLY affects BTC balances, so frozen bank accounts do not matter in the outcome.

Someone with balls can bet on YES and make a killing when Bitcoin-24 pays out just the btc balances.

[madc0w]

Maybe a little off topic, but here is a recent interaction I've had with Intersango:

April 17, 2013, 1:15 p.m.
There is no date on the transfer request in your system, but I believe it's been several days now. This request is still pending. Can you give me some idea when this might start processing?

April 17, 2013, 7:30 p.m. Staff needs_staff_action -> resolved
Please do not open inquiries for transfers set to "requested"
There is no available ETA for transfers in this state.

April 17, 2013, 7:56 p.m. resolved -> needs_staff_action
I'm sorry... I don't quite understand. Does "requested" mean that the transfer has not yet been initiated? If not, then what is blocking this transfer? Following the bitcion24 fiasco, you must understand that your customers may be a bit nervous.

April 17, 2013, 8:02 p.m. Staff needs_staff_action -> resolved
The delays are specifically because we do the things which bitcoin24 did not do that got them in trouble.
I hope you can understand.

April 17, 2013, 8:16 p.m. resolved -> needs_staff_action
So I am to understand that the delay is deliberate? If so, that's fine, but then the delay is on your side, and so you must have some idea of when the transfer will be initiated. I'm not in a big hurry... but it would be reassuring to see some forward motion.

April 17, 2013, 8:55 p.m. Staff needs_staff_action -> resolved
Of course we cannot divulge specifics of internal controls.
I hope it's enough that I say transfers are actively being sent.

[aby]

The delays are specifically because we do the things which bitcoin24 did not do that got them in trouble.

You're probably talking about the quoted text? If so, I think it's just "trying to force an open door" and a good excuse to keep someone at bay.
The only one who knows what really is going on is Simon. Without news from him, we don't know $hit

[Come-from-Beyond]

I'm sorry, but I really don't understand one question. Bitcoin is not money from legal point of view, why is Simon obliged to send the coins back? It's the same as if u requested to send back electronic letters u sent to him. Could anyone explain?