Problem with localbitcoins.com

[hkraskian]

I had a tough time registering in localbitcoins.

They asked me many many documents and keep rejecting my registration. For being exact I give the list of documents they collected ..

1. A photograph of you ("Selfie") holding up your ID a long with a note containing your username and today's date.
2. A photograph of a recent utility bill with your name on it.
3. A photograph of your ID held up in front of your computer screen with the whole screen visible (all four corners) and this ticket page visible.

And then after sending those documents...

Unfortunately, we will not be able to verify your account. Your passport got rejected by our automatic verification system and the resident card you have attached is extremely blurry.

Do you have driving license? If so, please, attach it.

Thank you!

and finally after sending the driver license

your documents get repeatedly rejected by our verification system.

I am afraid, we will not be able to verify your account.

Thank you for understanding!

---
Best regards,
LocalBitcoins

Now I am afraid, they can abuse all these collected documents. They can easily impersonate me and do any fraud they want.

Can someone hint me what can I do for safeguard my info in this regard?

[abanansah]

localbitcoins is reputable peer to peer exchange and they have been in the business for a long time for them to engage in such a petty fraud of identity.

[mk4]

Though they denied your documents/IDs, it's really unlikely for them to do shady stuff with your information; though I'm not saying it's impossible. I don't think there's anything you can do about it now as you've already submitted them.

[hugeblack]

Communicating with the support team is the only way to solve your problem. try to contact them using:

 - support page
 - LocalBitcoins Twitter account
 - [ANN] LocalBitcoins.com - a location-based bitcoin to cash marketplace
If you do not have money/coin in that account, you do not have to use it.

You can try Paxful as an alternative.

[Slow death]

Can someone hint me what can I do for safeguard my info in this regard?

Dude, do not worry because they do this to a lot of people, in my case I also gave them the same things they asked you to hand over, so they're not going to take your papers to commit crimes, I guess. Now there's something that made me curious, how did they disapprove all of your documents? Where are you from? because it's very strange that they have not accepted your documents ... you should take photos of your documents using a cell phone that has a high resolution camera, use samsung galaxy S6 or samsung galaxy S7. Iphone 6 and 7 can also be used. If that does not work then use a high resolution camera, because it seems to me that the problem of rejecting your document is that it does not have good image quality

[Mister1k]

Though they denied your documents/IDs, it's really unlikely for them to do shady stuff with your information; though I'm not saying it's impossible. I don't think there's anything you can do about it now as you've already submitted them.

Documents are not need for the localbitcoins dude. They actually asking document verification for to open a trade with the concern trader. I see the traders recent days asking to verify passport, phone number and etc to manage the account.

Please get more trust from the users on LBC and then you will be trustable person in LBC. Check trustworthy and then deal with the traders.

[St4yInTh3D4rk]

Do you have multiple accounts on LBC,maybe if the same name is might be a problem.If you are very new the try to register with all the documents at once then you may got approved.I am using LBC for years and I am also provided my ID details to them since it is their rules to continue to use that site so they won't misuse that at any situation hopefully.

[slaman29]

Though they denied your documents/IDs, it's really unlikely for them to do shady stuff with your information; though I'm not saying it's impossible. I don't think there's anything you can do about it now as you've already submitted them.

Documents are not need for the localbitcoins dude. They actually asking document verification for to open a trade with the concern trader. I see the traders recent days asking to verify passport, phone number and etc to manage the account.

Please get more trust from the users on LBC and then you will be trustable person in LBC. Check trustworthy and then deal with the traders.

Yes they are. This is LBC themselves doing it, when they suspect they might be vulnerable to abuse or something like that. Other traders, if they want to verify, they do it directly with you, or they specify only verified traders can contact and trade with them. LBC will never ever do a verification for someone else.

OP: Write to them to try again, this time providing CLEAR photographs. Make sure your lighting is very good, the camera lens is clean (no smudges) and if possible switch to a separate, mini webcam or HD camera to take those images. I have failed verification before and it is always because the images are not clear. They need to be able to read the details on your ID.

[target]

If you are to verify at least make your photos clearer because if you don't then its them that will suspect you are going to do shady things. I have been with localbitcoins and they're good. I have only did one transaction with them and was never again. I stop selling after it because I prefer doing it with a 3rd party, its much easy to deal with them those individuals you meet who are very much suspicious.

[AdolfinWolf]

Depending on where you are from, i'm pretty sure you can ask Localbitcoins what data they still have from you, and to delete it. (If you're scared that they might try to sell it/abuse it).

See https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/06/technology/gdpr-european-privacy-law.html

What are your rights?
Even if you don’t notice big changes, the new law provides important privacy rights worth knowing about.

For instance, you can ask companies what information they hold about you, and then request that it be deleted. This applies not just to tech companies, but also to banks, retailers, grocery stores or any other organization storing your information.

If they don't, they'll probably get fined big time.

[Kemarit]

As far as I know, LBC has updated their TOS:

(https://localbitcoins.com/gdpr)

But it you still have doubts and not comfortable about the data you have given them, then you send your questions to:

(https://localbitcoins.com/support/request/)

[buwaytress]

Adolfin and Kemarit spot on, and know your GDPR rights, including the right to ask them to delete your information once the need for it has been satisfied. Note, they will have to explicitly ask you every time for your permission and you will have to ask them every time to delete it with every instance.

My suggestion, if you really find this a hassle, just go somewhere else. I think Bisq is really coming up. I have yet to trigger any further verification from LBC beyond what I have already done before but I suspect I'm just a small time trader not warranting the due attention.

[Patatas]

My suggestion, if you really find this a hassle, just go somewhere else. I think Bisq is really coming up. I have yet to trigger any further verification from LBC beyond what I have already done before but I suspect I'm just a small time trader not warranting the due attention.

Same with me! I have verified my identity which gives me enough freedom to trade about 1-2BTC Per day without any hassle. I don't think it's the volume that matters but your activities do! For instance, I found a Russian trader ready to pay on Indian Bank accounts, that's very suspicious. I instantly reported the ID resulting in that account to be banned until further investigations.

[magneto]

You already provided it to them, so the only thing that you can do is pretty much ask them nicely to delete it.

Since they are a regulated company, they are legally obliged to protect your data, and ensure that it does get deleted if you request it to. So I doubt that there is anything to worry about there (unless you're providing info to a phishing LBC site). The chance of misuse should be extremely slim with an established company like localbitcoins.

However, I don't know why they rejected your verification docs repeatedly, assuming that you did provide the real documents for yourself. Also, I was never asked to provide my personal info when I registered. Is there a special reason that they're requesting this from you? Perhaps I'm not staying up to date with their policies after they suspended my account since it had 'significant trading volume'.

[buwaytress]

My suggestion, if you really find this a hassle, just go somewhere else. I think Bisq is really coming up. I have yet to trigger any further verification from LBC beyond what I have already done before but I suspect I'm just a small time trader not warranting the due attention.

Same with me! I have verified my identity which gives me enough freedom to trade about 1-2BTC Per day without any hassle. I don't think it's the volume that matters but your activities do! For instance, I found a Russian trader ready to pay on Indian Bank accounts, that's very suspicious. I instantly reported the ID resulting in that account to be banned until further investigations.

What I've heard is that it's definitely daily volume that will flag your account for requiring verification (I trade quite frequently at peak times but overall just over 1 BTC at the most and that's only because of current low prices), but yeah any "suspicious" activity will also trigger verification. They're pretty much forced to at this time, especially with new EU regulations coming into effect soon (not to mention GDPR).

You already provided it to them, so the only thing that you can do is pretty much ask them nicely to delete it.

Actually, they're regulatorily required to provide a simple way for users to request deletion of data. I couldn't find this way on their website yet, but I suspect when the first GDPR fines start coming at the end of the year, we'll see sites like LBC give users a simple click to delete data option.

[gentlemand]

I'm glad I used LBC only in the good old days when no one asked for anything.

I wouldn't have an issue handing over ID to the site themselves, but individual traders? Sod that. It seems borderline guaranteed these days too. The site should handle anything ID related and liaise with traders in case of problems. Anything beyond that isn't acceptable. It should not be a free for all.

[timerland]

Is it that now you have to provide all your ID on registration?

Last time I checked, you were still able to hold an anonymous account on localbitcoins to start with, and as long as you don't exceed an unknown threshold amount of trading volume, you'd be able to use the platform (apart from creating adverts) without issues. At least I'm still using my account anonymously.

Don't worry about abuse of documents. Though, it is strange that they say they can't match your ID to a valid one in their verification system. Request for your info to be deleted if you want. In the meanwhile, try some other p2p platforms which don't require this ID verification, or even trading on the forum on the currency exchange subforum/board. Make sure you're always protected by escrow, whatever platform you choose.

I'm glad I used LBC only in the good old days when no one asked for anything.

I wouldn't have an issue handing over ID to the site themselves, but individual traders? Sod that. It seems borderline guaranteed these days too. The site should handle anything ID related and liaise with traders in case of problems. Anything beyond that isn't acceptable. It should not be a free for all.

Agreed completely. LBC has gone to crap after having overly strict verification rules, even though it may be the result of regulatory pressure more than their own choice.

[Joel_Jantsen]

I reported them about a clone site http://prntscr.com/kkwjr7

The scammers created duplicate website on another domain and scamming normal buyers and sellers. Couple of months ago, I received an email, immediately i noticed some flaws, and within an hour reported them to LC admins, they thanked me but no response to shut down the duplicate site. Also reported namecheap who provided them [scammers] but still sit is up.

That site is still up and running. Only newbies who started out on localbitcoins are likely to get scammed here. Every other click on that page opens up the login box, which is not the same as the original site. Also, no recaptcha for login is another obvious reason that it's a phishing site.

[BOX Foundation]

I use localbitcoins for a long time, how can this happen? what if you watermark your identification and upload them?

[reflector]

I use localbitcoins for a long time, how can this happen? what if you watermark your identification and upload them?

Haha I think he do not want the people to manage and know details about I think. One word he want to be anonymous itseems if he go to any trading or exchanges they will for KYC details to verify and make the money.

Upon each and every traders rules will be changed so you need to pick the traders accordingly.