Scam Alert! Bitcoin-Central

[TKeenan]

I am worried that I've been scammed.  The new Bitcoin-Central appears to be scammy.  I gave all of my bank details to them.  Then they locked my account (login).  Then they won't allow me to change password.  Then they don't put a customer service e-mail on their website.  Then when I found a contact via Google - they write back to me in French that they don't speak English.  A professional company doesn't take bank details and smart off like a punk in French to customer inquiries.  Their website is in English - but if you want help you can't get it.

Warning, warning, warning.  I don't think these guys are legit.  I don't recommend this exchange service and I don't know if my information is secure with them.  They've been hacked in the past - and shut down.  Now, I think the 'reopened' company is a scam.

My advice: Stay Away!!!!  

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[tvbcof]

I am worried that I've been scammed.  The new Bitcoin-Central appears to be scammy.  I gave all of my bank details to them.  Then they locked my account (login).  Then they won't allow me to change password.  Then they don't put a customer service e-mail on their website.  Then when I found a contact via Google - they write back to me in French that they don't speak English.  A professional company doesn't take bank details and smart off like a punk in French to customer inquiries.  Their website is in English - but if you want help you can't get it.

Warning, warning, warning.  I don't think these guys are legit.  I don't recommend this exchange service and I don't know if my information is secure with them.  They've been hacked in the past - and shut down.  Now, I think the 'reopened' company is a scam.

My advice: Stay Away!!!!  

A while ago some Brit was going the jump in the Chunnel and fabrique nueveau trou de merde(*) on these guys.  I wonder how that went?

* I always like to stay current on my French.  'Use it or lose it', we say.

[greyhawk]

itym they were 'hacked' in the past, not hacked in the past

[AU]

itym they were 'hacked' in the past, not hacked in the past

oh that makes sense lol

[davout]

A while ago some Brit was going the jump in the Chunnel and fabrique nueveau trou de merde(*) on these guys.  I wonder how that went?

* I always like to stay current on my French.  'Use it or lose it', we say.

Hey tvbcof, how is the quest for relevance coming along? Make a blog or something, maybe someone will care.
And to answer your question, maybe the particular internet tough guy you mention grew a brain at some point.

itym they were 'hacked' in the past, not hacked in the past

Well, not everyone is a paranoid nutjob.

random anger

Hello!

I was the one who answered you. My answer actually meant "you may address us in French". Maybe I was a little quick to assume you spoke French since you declared residing in France. We get quite a lot of French users that don't know we're actually located in France, so we answer in French to those, who're actually quite happy about it.

Of course you got answered in English afterwards, maybe you didn't see the answer mixed in all the rage mail you sent us in the five minutes that followed.

[tvbcof]

A while ago some Brit was going the jump in the Chunnel and fabrique nueveau trou de merde(*) on these guys.  I wonder how that went?

* I always like to stay current on my French.  'Use it or lose it', we say.

Hey tvbcof, how is the quest for relevance coming along? Make a blog or something, maybe someone will care.
And to answer your question, maybe the particular internet tough guy you mention grew a brain at some point.

Well, look what the cat dragged in!

I don't need to pursue such a quest since I'm not trying to put my hands on other people's money.  This is hardly an accident.

To your other conjecture, it's possible, but I doubt it.  Some participants here are juveniles who have some potential for brain development left.  Probably not that guy though.

[davout]

Some participants here are juveniles who have some potential for brain development left.  Probably not that guy though.

Could mean the growth potential is located a couple of feet below instead.

[tvbcof]

Well, look what the cat dragged in!

Hey tvbcof,
Do you know this guy?  Is his company legit?  Is he really something a cat would drag in?  Do you know his true identity?  I gave them all my banking details and now they seem very unprofessional.  Should I report them to the banking authorities in France?

I don't know davout, but have met his partner boussac once.

My best guess is that they are NOT crooks, but they use exceedingly poor judgement when it comes to customer service and other aspects of running a business.  In particular, they are sensitive and immature and any perceived slight will set them off on a vindictive and unproductive campaign of insults.  A proficient support wing of any functional company can and will let such things roll off of their backs.

For my part, I will not trust them until they make a good faith effort to publicly document the investigation of the Instawallet theft, and produce a credible and verifiable accounting of the financial details associated with it.  Esp, how the unclaimed funds were used.  I would hazard a guess that most of the unclaimed funds (from tiny balances in people's wallets) were absorbed with their acqusition of Instawallet from it's original developer, but I am not aware of the business details that were associated with that event.

I would expect that you'll get you/they will get your account stuff squared away unless you are a blatant criminal and they can demonstrate it.

My personal view is that the amount of value to trust to ANY service provider in Bitcoinland is well below the amount that would be worth taking to the justice system if monetary calculus is all that is involved.  Dunno where your loss (temporary or not) falls.

[davout]

I still can't access the service and still don't believe the site is actually real.

Your account has been unlocked a couple of hours ago, you should be able to sign-in fine.

[davout]

I can sign in now.  Trouble is, I can't access the service.  The service is buying and selling bitcoins.  I can't do that. 

Let me take the liberty of quoting the FAQ for you:

How long does it take to verify my account?
The verifications are placed in a queue. It usually takes two business days, but it may take more or less time depending on the size of the queue.

[davout]

When I click the 'Fund your Bitcoins account' tab I see this:
"Fund your Bitcoins account
Your account must be verified before accessing this page. Your profile is complete and will be processed within the next 24 to 48 hours."

So I ask again, how many hours are there in five days in France?  

You're right, it's probably a scam. I suggest avoiding them altoghether and limit my interactions with them as much as possible.

[Boussac]

Alert:tvbcof and his new TKeenan alias is actually a troll trying to derail bitcoin start ups in any way he can, essentially by foul calomny.

tvbcof is displaying now his xenophobia openly. That is why he is targeting specifically a Paris-based business.

[greyhawk]

Well, not everyone is a paranoid nutjob.

See, davout? Look at how wrong you were:

Alert:tvbcof and his new TKeenan alias is actually a troll trying to derail bitcoin start ups in any way he can, essentially by foul calomny.

tvbcof is displaying now his xenophobia openly. That is why he is targeting specifically a Paris-based business.

[tvbcof]

Alert:tvbcof and his new TKeenan alias is actually a troll trying to derail bitcoin start ups in any way he can, essentially by foul calomny.

tvbcof is displaying now his xenophobia openly. That is why he is targeting specifically a Paris-based business.

Ouch!  You cut me to the the quick, man!

It's not like I asserted that all French people have poor hygiene habits and offensive body odor because of this.  Or maybe I did...I don't remember.  Anyway, some of my best friends or French.  Hmmm...actually that's not true.  I don't think I really have any French friends.  I had a Belgian co-worker not long ago an he was pretty cool though.  French, Belgian, Mongolian, whatever.  It's all about the same thing to us xenophobes.

[tvbcof]

Alert:tvbcof and his new TKeenan alias is actually a troll trying to derail bitcoin start ups in any way he can, essentially by foul calomny.
tvbcof is displaying now his xenophobia openly. That is why he is targeting specifically a Paris-based business.

tvbcof knows exactly who I am because he has a copy of my passport and banking details and utility bills I sent to his fake company that he bought from Paymium. 
...

FIFY

(I'm joking.  I don't think Paymium would hold unnecessarily or sell the docs.  Or even that they would get hacked and lose data...again...  But one never knows.  It's possible, and musing about such things often leads to a delightful engagement with my new found Francophone friends.)

[Boussac]

Well, not everyone is a paranoid nutjob.

See, davout? Look at how wrong you were:

Alert:tvbcof and his new TKeenan alias is actually a troll trying to derail bitcoin start ups in any way he can, essentially by foul calomny.

tvbcof is displaying now his xenophobia openly. That is why he is targeting specifically a Paris-based business.

That s right I am paranoid: tvbocf has stalked me so far with 36 posts (and counting) but I should consider this healthy.
The guy has no life and if he did it would be miserable.
Now greyhawk has joined this abject thread. Three hyenas make a pack.

[tvbcof]

Well, not everyone is a paranoid nutjob.

See, davout? Look at how wrong you were:

Alert:tvbcof and his new TKeenan alias is actually a troll trying to derail bitcoin start ups in any way he can, essentially by foul calomny.

tvbcof is displaying now his xenophobia openly. That is why he is targeting specifically a Paris-based business.

That s right I am paranoid: tvbocf has stalked me so far with 36 posts (and counting) but I should consider this healthy.
The guy has no life and if he did it would be miserable.
Now greyhawk has joined this abject thread. Three hyenas make a pack.

You attack me, then accuse me of stalking you?

You have me on your ignore list yet have taken the time to count '36 posts' where I allegedly cause you some poorly defined damage?

What a bozo and a loser you are!  I hope that you can somehow succeed in running a worthwhile company but it's seriously doubtful to say the honest truth.

[Shallow]

Usually services with a hyphen are dodgy. Not always, just most of the time.

[Boussac]

tvbocf has stalked me so far with 36 posts (and counting) but I should consider this healthy.
The guy has no life and if he did it would be miserable.
Now greyhawk has joined this abject thread. Three hyenas make a pack.

We simply tried to use your services in good faith only to learn they are most probably a mere fraud and vaporware.

This is rumorware. You are on a witch hunt. I feel sorry for you because you are doing nothing meaningful other than calomny.

By mixing legitimate businesses with alleged scams you are doing exactly the opposite of what you cliam you are doing.
1.You are making it more difficult for the community to select trustworthy services.
2. You disincentivize trustworthy services to disclose if and when they are hacked since you condemn them to have their reputation smeared no matter what they do. Even when the users suffer no other loss than an interruption of service.

Rest assured however that your despicable behavior has absolutely no influence on my continued determination to serve the bitcoin community with honesty.

[davout]

Don't feel sorry for me.  Feel sorry for yourself.  You are the one with the failed business.
Yours is not a legitimate business.  It is a sham.  'trustworthy services'?  'Honesty'?  You can write it a 1000 times more and it won't change the facts that your operations are not.

I don't discuss my business with random whiny forumites for the same reason I don't discuss quantum physics with my golden retriever, neither is mentally equipped to understand the very basics of the subject at hand.

I am merely sharing with my peers my experience trying to open an account on your website.

Which basically boils down to "the coffee didn't come with a temperature warning, I therefore burnt myself. I am angry about it and demand that someone pays attention to my whining".

Some idiot name 'devout' - got real smart and snappy

Don't hate your betters, learn a lesson.
The lesson is : "please" works better than dumb threats when you're seeking assistance.

I learned the service isn't an actual functioning serious business

You apparently did not learn anything here, however you did demonstrate your inability to distinguish a fast-food from a correctly operated money service business. You're not ordering fries here, you're requesting an account to be opened in your name with a licensed financial insitution performing legally required checks and correct due diligence on their new business relationships.

After 10 days now, the 'verification process' is still not complete when you advertise between 24 - 48 hours

Sit down, make yourself a cup of tea. Now think, think harder. Good! You just realized there may be a connection between this fact and your previous request, which was : "close my account".

Your account has been closed, your data archived. You have been blacklisted and will be refused service from now on.

[davout]

I live in same city than the owners of the exchange, if they are scamers, I can physically kick them ass

It's kind of bizarre that people assume this kind of thing, you could also be denied entry, get your ass kicked or whatever.

And I don't think they would create a registered compagny, using registered bank accounts for customers to scam them.

It's pretty sure in those conditions they will finish in jail if they do this.

Thank you, finally someone speaking some plain old common sense!

In more confident using exchanges fully registered with banks, and european laws, that's why I use bitcoin.de, and have registered on bitcoin-central.net  

Both (bank accounts are not available yet in bitcoin.de, but it's coming) are covered by europeans bank law for fiat deposits to a level of 100 000€, no fear that they run with money, and if the company goes bankrupt, I'm covered.

Words of wisdom :-)

So in my opinion, for european users, those two websites (one is OTC, other is real exchange) are the better covered against incidents for buying bitcoins

Yup, other exchanges work in a sort of flawed way where the user deposits are considered to be corporate property, and can be seized, frozen and whatnot, for whatever reason, like it happened to mtgox in France (without much consequences), in the US (making them insolvent), and like it'll happen eventually to bitstamp.

The worse thing they'll ever do is 'fart in your general direction'.

I'll assume your address and my compass are accurate, so consider it just happened.

It's like if I have been interviewed by Fox 

You made me chuckle :-)

[D357@RG]

Alert:tvbcof and his new TKeenan alias is actually a troll trying to derail bitcoin start ups in any way he can, essentially by foul calomny.

tvbcof is displaying now his xenophobia openly. That is why he is targeting specifically a Paris-based business.

Ouch!  You cut me to the the quick, man!

It's not like I asserted that all French people have poor hygiene habits and offensive body odor because of this.  Or maybe I did...I don't remember.  Anyway, some of my best friends or French.  Hmmm...actually that's not true.  I don't think I really have any French friends.  I had a Belgian co-worker not long ago an he was pretty cool though.  French, Belgian, Mongolian, whatever.  It's all about the same thing to us xenophobes.

tvbcof - All of my lulz!!1

Boussac - listen here Frenchy, interwebs srs business.  playing the 'race card' like you have just done here sends an open invitation for responses of this flavor. 

then again, you raise an interesting point: should no-cap crypto-coin businesses be afforded some form of special treatment, a handycap adjustment if you will, if they're french?  i say NO to special treatment for the french! 

[Boussac]

all French people have poor hygiene habits and offensive body odor because of this.

 i say NO to special treatment for the french!

Fortunately, they are almost completely non-existent in technology and matters relating to the Internet.  When they do come, the come like this feeble group.  Very limply arrive - and quickly disappear.  And that is the end of the story for Bitcoin-Central.   Pfffftt!!!  Just like a French fart.

You are right: my accusations of xenophobia are completely misguided. You are simply suffering from brain damage caused by too much watching Fox news.
I do feel sorry for you and you cannot change that. Now you are going on my ignore list for good if you don't mind.

[Boussac]

playing the 'race card' like you have just done here sends an open invitation for responses of this flavor.  

I did not know nationality was race. There are people of all shapes and colors around here.
Thanks for enlightening me with your knowledge and wisdom.

By the way, read the posts before you write because someone else first mentionned that I may be from a country where people talk funny.
I try to conceal this handicap but my poor command of the English language and my blog address probably betrayed me.

[tvbcof]

...
I just learned that Bitstamp is the exchange which you guys dream about making.  It is an actual organization with real professionals and stuff like that.
...

Please do be a little bit careful about this.  Boussac was eventually DOX'd in spite of the general care Bitcoin-Central took to hide their identities.  Or at least he gave some name for his presentation in San Jose earlier this year.

To the best of my knowledge the operators of Bitstamp have not been identified.  As is the case with ~davout, one of the operators of Bitstamp is has admin capabilities on this board (~hazek) but that is not a guarantee of easy tracking should it come to that, and certainly should not be used as an indication of honesty or integrity.  Sometimes I feel it is the opposite in fact.

For my part, I only do business with outfits that don't try to obscure the identities of their principles.  Currently I patronize Coinbase and Blockchain.info in part because of this.

[davout]

I just learned that Bitstamp is the exchange which you guys dream about making.

An unlicensed money business, ignorant of FATCA (read: they'll get anally raped as soon as they set foot in the US), that can't properly round a fee, that is being effortlessly MITM'd by the NSA (yes cloudflare I'm looking at you), run by a couple slovenian freshmen? Hah. They have a very successful lemonade stand, good for them!

Not a bunch of pillocks playing about on the internet pretending to make a business.  

This is rather cute coming from a pretend-lawyer whose website comments section advertises penis enlargement products and leaks your contracts templates all over the internet ;-)

Boussac was eventually DOX'd in spite of the general care Bitcoin-Central took to hide their identities.

You're such a priceless little fella.

To the best of my knowledge

And that's why no one gives a single shit about your "knowledge".

Currently I patronize Coinbase and Blockchain.info

Go back to the newbie jail, or the self-moderated section, you'll avoid getting yourself bitchslapped back and forth :-)

[tvbcof]

Boussac was eventually DOX'd in spite of the general care Bitcoin-Central took to hide their identities.

You're such a priceless little fella.

Finally.

BTW, how's that police investigation coming along?

And dija figure out what your take on the unclaimed wallets ended up being?  At the rate Bitcoin is going up it should pay all you guy's salaries for years, eh?

To the best of my knowledge

And that's why no one gives a single shit about your "knowledge".

Currently I patronize Coinbase and Blockchain.info

Go back to the newbie jail, or the self-moderated section, you'll avoid getting yourself bitchslapped back and forth :-)

[davout]

Finally.

Trolling is a art that you do not seem to master.
Or maybe you're actually unable to perform a basic google search, is that so?
Oh god, it doesn't even require googling, most decent browsers will take you to paymium.com directly if you type "paymium" in the address bar.

So my question here, is "Finally what?".

BTW, how's that police investigation coming along?

You seem confused. If the difference between a private investigator and a police officer is unclear to you I suggest you go find out.

And dija figure out what your take on the unclaimed wallets ended up being?

Please, let me know by PM (or publicly if you so wish), if there is a way for us to compile an accurate financial reporting document that you can independently cross-check without trusting us. Describe all the information that should be included and how it could be cross-checked independently.


Now let us go back on topic, which, for the record is "I was scammed because BC's verification process took more time than the advertised general time-frame", a particular case of the more general problem "my fries came cold".

[davout]

Fucking typical French - going after the fries thing.  You frogs LOVE McDonalds.  Go to any town in the whole country - biggest line is at McDonalds.

Yup, I'm loving it. But do you see the morbidly obese crowd you're used to in said lines? Nah. Why would that be?
Sometimes I get cold fries, I go to the counter, I say "could you change my fries, they're cold", which I usually follow by "please" and conclude by a "thank you" upon reception of additionnal fries in the acceptable temperature range. Oh, and every fucking time I forget to ask for extra salt, so I have to go back, stupid me.

Dude - it was your smart fucking answer to an inquiry which made me think you are a scammer.

Look at the mtgox withdrawal delay thread, these people have reasons to be angry!
But you... Seriously, you're waiting in line like everyone else for a few days more than advertised and you get all agitated and all "approve my account or else"?

(And for the record, despite your account being locked on our side your verification process went on with our partner and you have a verified account with them since a week or so)

you could use those penis adverts

Haha, that Napoleon complex thing again? Do you know that saying? "The flaws we see in others..."

can you please provide a link?

No fucking way. I don't disclose identifying information about past, current, or to-be customers, and certainly not to make some random point on some random internet message board.

So I want to know - are you now willing to admit your service is merely vaporware?

That's what it'll be to you unless you get invited back in :-)

At least two of us

Look, you're new here, no problem with that, for now you just need to know that tvbcof has some sort of weird obsession with me. Go figure.

you've done nothing to indicate Bitcoin-Central is nothing more than BS.

Right. Now I'm going to thank you for your visit and genuinely wish you luck and happiness, you know where to find me.

[davout]

I will be contacting the authorities about this.  This 'pretend lawyer' comment is professional defamation and it is treated quite severely.  You will learn a little bit of law if you continue with me tough guy.

cool story. bring it bitch.

[davout]

You'd better tread lightly my friend.  I'll have your doors shut tight in a hot Paris second.

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bring it bitch

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[davout]

I have now been informed by the authorities that there are no doors to shut

On a saturday? Cute

[NickNick]

Some news for tonight's "site under maintenance"? I don't think I have ever been informed of it...

[tvbcof]

Some news for tonight's "site under maintenance"? I don't think I have ever been informed of it...

Davout is probably tied up working on his 'military grade' computers so I'll be helpful and answer for him:

  "Hey douche: Take your meds."

(I took the liberty of adding a French word for added effect.)

[davout]

Oh look, my two favorite haters, I won't have much time for you today, if this persists I'll make sure to hire someone to come feed you some drama and harvest the lulz from time to time.

@NickNick : Stuff that breaks usually doesn't warn in advance :-)

[tvbcof]

...
@NickNick : Stuff that breaks usually doesn't warn in advance :-)

Actually, it very often does if a person is good at their job.  And things that are not amenable to early warnings are usually designed to have redundancy (if implemented by competent persons.)

Of course you guys got hacked and your solvency was up in the air and you were 'saved' by a price drop (in the 'Instawallet was not a scam' scenario) so your competence has always been questionable.

[davout]

Oh wow, half the posts disappeared in this thread, did TKeenan somehow manage to sober up?

Actually, it very often does if a person is good at their job.  And things that are not amenable to early warnings are usually designed to have redundancy (if implemented by competent persons.)

Of course you guys got hacked and your solvency was up in the air and you were 'saved' by a price drop (in the 'Instawallet was not a scam' scenario) so your competence has always been questionable.

So, how're you you today tvbcof?
I sense a lot of ungiven fucks in your aura, so I figured I'd keep you company a bit :-)

[tvbcof]

Oh wow, half the posts disappeared in this thread, did TKeenan somehow manage to sober up?

[sys failure early warnings]  Actually, it very often does if a person is good at their job. ...

So, how're you you today tvbcof?
I sense a lot of ungiven fucks in your aura, so I figured I'd keep you company a bit :-)

I'm well.  Thanks.

You seem to be basking in the pleasure of having both admin powers on bitcointalk.org where 'scam accusations' happen while simultaneously being a member of a loose group of organizations which take people's bitcoin and sometimes give them back.  I'm glad it brings you joy.

Gather around class; Today's lesson will be on 'Ethics' ...