Bitstamp taking money of their clients, i was ripped for 130k$

[SerhAngreUA]

Hi all. Be careful with bitstamp exchanger, they start taking money , and said that this is requied by their AML and KYC politics.
I was a succesful verified trader at bitstamp about 3 years, but now they just taking my money.

They start their stupid KYC and AML checks, and want from me a documental proofs of all my bitcoins deposit for last 3 years, i dont have it, because almaust all coins was purchased at localbitcoins.com from private sellers for cash.

Conversation in the support tickets shows like this, no progress, and this is can take years.

05/08/2107
ME: i dont have proofs because coins was purchased for cash form private seller.
Bitstamp: provide us a documents about your BTC acquisition
07/08/2107
ME: i dont have proofs because coins was purchased for cash form private seller.
Bitstamp: if possible, provide some supporting documentation pertaining to your BTC acquisition
09/08/2107
ME: i dont have proofs because coins was purchased for cash form private seller.
Bitstamp: provide other source of information that can help us clarify the origin of your BTC
11/08/2107
ME: i dont have proofs because coins was purchased for cash form private seller.
Bitstamp: provide us a documents about your BTC acquisition

This is very-very stupid.

So if you are trade at bitstamp - be ready that your money will be taken, and if you dont have documental proofs of Bitcoins purchase - you will lost all.
 

[Kyraishi]

I think that perhaps this is as a result of some policy changes in the EU, which i assume is where Bitstamp is located.

You deserve the money back. They only let you know their policy update now, and have never told you about this before you signed up. From a moral point of view, they are in the wrong. But from a legal point of view, they are right. Keep trying to negotiate with them, try to get some other guy on the support instead of talking to the same person and repeating the same stuff. That's all you can do. If nothing is done, file a lawsuit or threaten to file one if they don't release your funds.

$130k is a lot of money, man. Why were you storing so much on an exchange though? I hope you realise now that exchange is an exchange, it's not somewhere to store your funds all the time. Hold your bitcoins in your bitcoin wallet, that's what bitcoin is designed to do, nobody can freeze your balance unless you trust them with it.

[YesLOST]

Lawyer time, not forum time.

[omarabid]

Can you provide more details?

[krizniq]

so what you are saying, they are asking to prove from whom you've aquired BTC when you deposit them to the Bitstamp?
or when you want withdraw them?

And what does it even mean, how one can prove when you just receive btc from some address or from exchange?

[SerhAngreUA]

Bitcoins sometimes was withdrawed to other exchange platforms, such as polo, bitfinex, sometimes deposited back from that same platforms, maybe they dont like this, nobody know for sure.
When bitcoin exchange rate on bitfinex was higher than bitstamp for 100+$, i was send coins from bitstamp to bitfinex, sell them and when exch.rate was equal - i purchase coins and send them back to bitstamp. Simple arbitrage trading.

 They asking same questions, asking me about all my bitcoin wallets, exchangers where im registred. Even about my small mining farm, wich coins never was sent to bitstamp. WTF ? =(
And no one lawyer doesnt help me, because bitcoin status in Ukraine seems to become out of law now, because since last week police start arest miners, equipment. http://asn.in.ua/ru/news/news/116017-v-ukraine-nachalis-oblavy-na-majjnerov-bitkoinov.html. 2 Days ago was arested mining farm for 200 machines, yesterday - next one, 500 machines.
Also lawyers dont help, because i dont have any proofs of purchasing  deposited coins from private exchangers to bitstamp. 

I created more tickets, but they is not reply or replied by TOMAŽ ROZMAN. They want know too much

http://prntscr.com/g77xpn

[krizniq]

This is very alarming and strange behaviour of this trusted site .... hmmm

[tiggytomb]

This is strange and a bit crazy, the whole KYC thing is fine but when it comes in it should be a case of from this point forth if you want to transact with higher limits etc you need to provide x y and z.

I find it hard to believe that you are being asked to prove where your historic bitcoin has come from, they should at least let you withdraw your funds and go elsewhere.

Keep us posted on happenings.

[LeGaulois]

BItstamp is really strict about KYC/AML policies. Even if you already submitted documents long ago, they can at any time asking you again to send them and to reply to some questions such where the money comes from, what you do with cryptocurrencies, and so.
But about your case, you are making it a little wrong in my opinion, you are repeating the same thing that you  got the coins from a private seller. You should tell them that you already told them before from where the bitcoins come from and you can't provide any proof

[krizniq]

BItstamp is really strict about KYC/AML policies. Even if you already submitted documents long ago, they can at any time asking you again to send them and to reply to some questions such where the money comes from, what you do with cryptocurrencies, and so.
But about your case, you are making it a little wrong in my opinion, you are repeating the same thing that you  got the coins from a private seller. You should tell them that you already told them before from where the bitcoins come from and you can't provide any proof

if you saw his printscreen they are asking stuff which is non of their business, like mining equipment was bought how and for which money? what the hell is that question for?
and so on... this is alarming

[SerhAngreUA]

I think all is simple - they want took my money, that way asking questions. No answers - no money.
 That may happen with every bitstamp client, be ready, seems im first.

[YesLOST]

I think all is simple - they want took my money, that way asking questions. No answers - no money.
 That may happen with every bitstamp client, be ready, seems im first.

Yeah, I think exchanges today are 0 trustworthy for individuals. Decentralized exchange is the new thing, but fiat trading must be eliminated.

[SerhAngreUA]

As a finish, my money and account was taken by bitstamp. They are a gang of robbers ((