Victim of My Own Stupidity and Theft

[D00D3R]

Hello All,

I've been a long-term lurker of Bitcointalk and haven't really felt the need to post something until right now.  This is a somewhat long story, but if you'd be kind enough to hear about the events that unfolded, I'd be much obliged.

This all started about two days ago.  I've recently gotten into speculating BTC on a much greater scale now than I have over the past few years.  I suppose like many "average" persons, I just wasn't quite sure what to make of BTC and whether or not it'd fail within its first couple years.  I now look back on that decision to not get involved earlier on, as many people have, with much regret.  There were numerous times I was literally sitting with a spare $1,000 a click away from buying coins when they were much much cheaper (below a dollar).

Anyway, as I've said, I've recently been speculating a little more heavily and have invested what for me has been a sizeable amount.  I've been doing pretty well.  I grew an initial investment of about $5,500 to a little over $6,700 in the last week or so and would have done a lot better if I wouldn't have panicked sold when the "crash" to where we are at now began.  Noobies gotta learn I guess.

Because I'm pretty busy, I've been using my smart phone as a way to access my account on Coinbase and Bitstamp.  I basically turned my phone into a small mobile trading "platform".  On Friday the 6th, I lost my smartphone near the apartment complex where I live.  That's bad enough, but because I had taken to checking the BTC markets so frequently, I ended up removing its passcode.  To compound that pure stupidity, I also had placed a .pdf with my passwords and usernames for my account on Coinbase (and others) along with step by step directions to remote access into my computer (because my memory isn't the best and  because my passwords were randomly generated strings of random symbols). I thought I wouldn't lose my phone and I guess I figured it wouldn't be a problem.  Boy was I wrong.  I also had all my two-factor security connected to that phone.

I guess around early Saturday morning I received three emails from Coinbase stating that someone had accessed my account and had purchased up to the maximum BTC allowed for instant purchase (.05 BTC, .2 BTC, and 7.9 BTC).  I, however, did not authorize those purchases.  Those BTC promptly disappeared and I haven't been able to access my account because I don't have the two-factor codes to do so.

I'm waiting to hear back from their support team and will go to the authorities on Monday, but I assume there's nothing I can do but bite the harshest of bullets.  I'm also hoping to track down my phone.  If Coinbase charges me for those BTC, I imagine it'll wipe out my BTC investment (which was sitting as fiat currently, waiting to buy back in when, if, prices move lower).  

I know you guys get millions of scammers, sad-sacks, and other requests for handouts.  However, I'm hard-pressed to come up with the funds to replace those (poor grad student that I am) and would very much like to continue to be a part of the BTC community over the course of the next couple months.

If any of you has any good ideas on how to proceed, or if any of you would like to make a charitable contribution to help me restore my fund, I'd be forever in your debt.  Really though, I think it's just a good lesson to not be so stupid and to never put convenience over security.

Best,
D00D3R

[crazywack]

 
Sry to hear that, I wouldn't wait to go to the authorities... Police are 24hrs so make a report now so that monday morning and investigator can be assigned to your case. the more time you give these guys to run the further they will get!

[Lucky Cris]

Well, I guess it's a good thing you purchased through Coinbase... there shouldn't be any reason why your bank wouldn't consider the purchases fraudulent given that your phone was lost. I say it's a good thing for you because unlike me, who got scammed out of 13BTC last month, I can't call my bank and say my account was compromised.

And why wait to go to the authorities on Monday? They open 24/7. Not to mention, you should be able to stop payment on those charges. You aren't a victim yet; your lost can be prevented. The coins may be lost, but you can still prevent those charges from coming out our bank account.

Here's how to proceed:

Call your bank to stop all payments to Coinbase.
Remove any credit cards you attached to your account.
File a police report for your 'lost' phone (you can probably do this over the phone).
Send copy of report to Coinbase (just for kicks, I suppose).
Rejoice that the funds didn't leave your bank account.

Pretty simple. Let us know how it works out. If it does, see my signature.