The Rock Trading Scam www.therocktrading.com Exchange Review fraud truffa

[eliale]

You had no right to transfer the money belonging to the victim to your associate that you claim is an arbiter. On paper you have handed over the funds to a third-party but in reality you are playing a game.

Once in a while it would be good to read our TOS:

11. DORMANT ACCOUNT
1. In the event that the User's account is dormant for a period of at least 12 months and Assets are available on the account, TRT will require the User to communicate the bank account details in the User's name to which the Assets are to be transferred, once converted, should they not be, into legal tender currency. If the User has not provided TRT with the destination details of the assets, which may have been converted into legal tender currency, despite TRT's reminders and after 30 days from the first notification, TRT shall arrange for the transfer of the available assets by means of the so-called "Real offer". In this case, TRT shall convert the virtual currencies into legal tender currencies independently, if necessary, and in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the relevant legislation, shall formalize the offer of the sums to the User through a notary public or other public official, and shall then, in the event of failure to accept the offer, deposit the amounts with another bank and notify the User of the deposit at the same time. In cases where this solution is difficult to apply, TRT will seek alternative solutions to establish contact with the User and transfer the sums to the latter. All costs related to these activities are borne by the User.

https://www.therocktrading.com/en/pages/terms-and-conditions

We have been trying to contact the account owner without success and, of course, an anonymous claim on a private chat is not a valid request..

Thank you!

[Coinfan]

Thanks for your posts, Jollygood.

The Rock CFO just can't stop posting misleading post after misleading post:

I) Their TOS establishes "TRT will require the User to communicate the bank account details in the User's name to which the Assets are to be transferred". He never even showed any availability to do this.

II) The TOS says "despite TRT's reminders and after 30 days from the first notification, TRT shall arrange for the transfer of the available assets". He never sent any notification to any of the two email addresses that he has. If he lies saying I'm not the owner, he had to use one of these emails.

III) The TOS says "offer of the sums to the User through a notary public or other public official". His so-called arbiter is not a notary and much less a public official. It's him!

He already confessed that his fake arbiter is just a segregated account, so the Rock (so, him) is the owner. He has my money.

funds would be placed on a "segregated" account. Which has been done.

Do you remember, he wrote several times here that the Rock (him):

is no longer in control of the funds which are securely held by a qualified third party.

He confessed he is the arbiter, because it's just a segregated account owned by the Rock/Him. Pretending that he sent the money to a third party out of his control means he is claiming he owes me nothing, but he sent the money to himself. This is FRAUD.

IV) "In cases where this solution is difficult to apply, TRT will seek alternative solutions to establish contact with the User and transfer the sums to the latter.".
Say what?


He did nothing his TOS commands him to do. He sent the money to himself and scammed again pretending he sent it to a "qualified third party". Nothing more.

[Coinfan]

When confronted with the facts the Rock CFO just take it and waits silently for another opportunity to post one more misleading text or blatant lie.

He also never posted anything about the financial results published on several sites from his fake Holding DIGITAL ROCK HOLDING S.P.A. I posted about and that show that he sold 10% of it as if the "Holding" was worth 15 million: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4975753.msg59653622#msg59653622

I'll be more than happy to do so as soon as the OP will comply with AML requests and proving she is the owner of the account.

In order to solve it, I'm even propose her to come to Italy at our expenses and close the issue in front of a notary.

I know she is not going to accept it because he cannot comply but, a try is worth it.....

This must be the most ridiculous offer he ever posted.

He is offering to pay for my voyage to Italy? On first class?! This absurd proposal isn't from his heavy conscience. He scammed 1.5 million from naive investors but he publicly confessed he is preparing for a second round of scam crowdfunding:
https://www.cryptocoinference.com/2022/01/17/the-rock-trading-e-main-sponsor-della-terza-edizione-di-crypto-coinference/ (Italian)

This guy is as cheap as someone can be. He didn't even hired a lawyer who wouldn't allow him to incriminate himself as he did. None of his businesses even has a real address. Everything is operated from their homes, including the Rock Trading.

Obviously he only posted this because he knows I would never accept. I created an anonymous account on his exchange (when it was small but the orderbooks weren't fake), as permitted by their TOS and FAQ and by Italian Law, in order to stay anonymous.

Much before creating this scam warning thread I created this one about exchanges that respected privacy: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=689902.0

And most bitcoiners here value their privacy and can understand me.

[Coinfan]

I already posted that the Rock CFO managed to get Trustpilot to erase the few real reviews that were very negative about the Rock Trading Exchange:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4975753.msg58049838#msg58049838

But I missed a justification that the Rock CFO posted about it and I have more to add about Trustpilot:

Trustpilot, which is an independent company, after some investigation decided to erase a couple of fake posts.  There is nothing we can do about it.....

Trustpilot has very negative feedbacks on https://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/trustpilot.com
458 of the 576 ratings of Trustpilot are of 1 star.
This site comments about Trustpilot:
"Trustpilot has a consumer rating of 1.61 stars from 576 reviews (...). Consumers complaining about Trustpilot most frequently mention (...) integrity team problems."

Many of the reviewers accuse Trustpilot from receiving money from business to delete negative reviews.  It might not be Trustpilot but just one of his employees who receives money to delete posts, but the result is the same.

I don't know if the Rock CFO paid them to delete the reviews, but I do know that he created 39 5 star fake reviews on only three days, on 27, 28 and 29 September of 2021. And the Rock CFO was there "thanking" a few of those "reviews" on the exact day they were made, 27 September.
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/therocktrading.com?languages=all

And he doesn't stop. Last 13 April, another positive review. As usual, the author is Italian and identifies himself with two names to make it more credible. This time he had some shame and avoided given 5 stars to himself. He just gave 4. And avoided thanking in the same day. He waited for the next day. But he didn't forget to qualify the review as useful.

Obviously this are all preparatory steps for his next move: the second crowdfunded capital raising scam. But I'm on it.

[Coinfan]

Let's us return to their fake DIGITAL ROCK HOLDING SPA. I  promised to write something more on their promoting "business", Cryptovalues.

If you check the comments on the Cryptovalues website (http://cryptovalues.eu), doesn't seem to be any one commenting or reading much. The goal isn't informing anyone. The real goal is to create the impression of a real entity to better support the illusion that their so-called group has effective presence on the crypto world.

Its function was to give their fake group some appearance of real relevance on the crypto economy. With the goal of attracting some known people on the Italian crypto area in order to induce them to accept to be part of their so-called advisory board and scientific advisory committee side by side with the Rock Trading founders.
https://cryptovalues.eu/advisory-board
https://cryptovalues.eu/scientific-advisory-committee (considered as staff!)

These so-called advisories just add to the illusion of a serious and important crypto group and allowed our infamous founders to increase the amount they asked on the crowdfunding.

As another fake business, Cryptovalues is just a few names, a website, an employee/"CEO", the usual paper address: if it has ever made any money, they don't show any sign of it.

Anyone trying to evaluate the real value of their fake holding must consider Cryptovalues as a clear financial burden.

Why after the successful crowdfunding scam they still keep Cryptovalues floating? Because its continuous expensive subsistence is another step in the preparation of the second crowdfunding scam I already wrote about.

[JollyGood]

What cannot be denied is that Rock Trading are refusing to release your funds because they have a vendetta against you. That is obvious.

Their CFO posts nonsensical reasons for giving the money to an arbiter and tries to justify his actions by blaming you but he is to blame. As representatives of Rock Trading they got greedy and decided to selective scam you without knowing you would expose their scam which is the reason why they are holding on to your money.

[Coinfan]

What cannot be denied is that Rock Trading are refusing to release your funds because they have a vendetta against you. That is obvious.

Yes the Rock CFO showed many times that he is a vengeful person. Just check the way he posted here almost all the private information on my account. For nothing. Just to show that he had obtained this information. Not on his own merits because he received an email with it.

But as you also mention, greediness is a prevalent reason. If it wasn't 35500 euro in question, the issue would be long solved. He already thinks that my money counts as his money and he see its devolution has a serious loss. This value amounts for several years of the real profits of the Rock Trading.

He thinks so far so good, why should I return big money I already count as mine. For him is just a question of keeping posting the same lies and being able to keep this thread from the eyes of the people he is affraid, including the police, financial authorities and investors.

The problem is that now he committed several crimes and can't hide those with just some lies. And the consequences will be heavy. It's his freedom and life conditions that are on the line.

Speaking on earnings. He probably already had to pay dividends to his scammed investors to keep the illusion going as more than 1 year passed since he received the scammed 1.5 million.

He had to pay dividends on fake earnings? That must have hurt him. Paying money he isn't earning.

[Coinfan]

Since they are paying dividends to their investors on nonexistent or faked/largely exaggerated profits, this means they are living above what the Rock can pay, even counting with the occasional scam on their customers, by buying their cripto at half the international price because of the usual big gaps that suddenly are created on their markets by their bots when there are international crashes.
Check here a review from a scammed customer:

This means that they are using the money they earned with the scamming crowdfunding to just support their fake Holding and pay their investors. This is a classic Ponzi Scheme.

It's because of this also that he needs to do a second crowdfunding. Some of the earned money on the first one was used just to support the existence of the Holding and to promote them, like being sponsors of crypto conferences on Italy.

And it's essential to keep their investors happy. Some of them might be naive enough to sink more money on the black hole that is the Rock Trading Exchange. If some aren't crazy enough to do this at least they won't try to recover their money or post about the disappointing results of the Rock Trading.

I couldn't found information about their 2021 results, but shore thing they had fake record profits, without any similarity of the previous published results on previous years that I posted about! Again they are following the rule One has to spend money to scam money.

[JollyGood]

He certainly comes across as a vengeful person that holds grudges. He seems to have set out to cause you maximum suffering by withholding your funds and shows no sign of accepting how wrong he was to do it. In the process he destroyed his reputation and that of his Rock Trading exchange.

One way this will hopefully come back to haunt him will be when those innocent investors that funded his recent fundraise realise they were scammed because they were given overinflated trading figures therefore were lied to. I hope they get together and take their own legal action against Rock Trading and their CFO.

What cannot be denied is that Rock Trading are refusing to release your funds because they have a vendetta against you. That is obvious.

Yes the Rock CFO showed many times that he is a vengeful person. Just check the way he posted here almost all the private information on my account. For nothing. Just to show that he had obtained this information. Not on his own merits because he received an email with it.

But as you also mention, greediness is a prevalent reason. If it wasn't 35500 euro in question, the issue would be long solved. He already thinks that my money counts as his money and he see its devolution has a serious loss. This value amounts for several years of the real profits of the Rock Trading.

[eliale]

He certainly comes across as a vengeful person that holds grudges. He seems to have set out to cause you maximum suffering by withholding your funds and shows no sign of accepting how wrong he was to do it. In the process he destroyed his reputation and that of his Rock Trading exchange.

One way this will hopefully come back to haunt him will be when those innocent investors that funded his recent fundraise realise they were scammed because they were given overinflated trading figures therefore were lied to. I hope they get together and take their own legal action against Rock Trading and their CFO.

What cannot be denied is that Rock Trading are refusing to release your funds because they have a vendetta against you. That is obvious.

Yes the Rock CFO showed many times that he is a vengeful person. Just check the way he posted here almost all the private information on my account. For nothing. Just to show that he had obtained this information. Not on his own merits because he received an email with it.

But as you also mention, greediness is a prevalent reason. If it wasn't 35500 euro in question, the issue would be long solved. He already thinks that my money counts as his money and he see its devolution has a serious loss. This value amounts for several years of the real profits of the Rock Trading.

A simple kyc with us or with an arbiter of his choice would solve the issue.  Nothing more nothing less. 

Thank you

[JollyGood]

Well this is a new development. Since when would you accept the OP sending KYC documents to an arbiter of their choice without you being sent copies of the same documents.

Would you accept the arbiter simply saying they have received the documents and have verified them or would you want a copy of the documents sent to you?

A simple kyc with us or with an arbiter of his choice would solve the issue.  Nothing more nothing less. 

Thank you

[eliale]

Well this is a new development. Since when would you accept the OP sending KYC documents to an arbiter of their choice without you being sent copies of the same documents.

Would you accept the arbiter simply saying they have received the documents and have verified them or would you want a copy of the documents sent to you?

A simple kyc with us or with an arbiter of his choice would solve the issue.  Nothing more nothing less. 

Thank you

Because an Arbiter would have to comply with laws and release information to us unless, a Judge would say the Countrary.  Any of the 2 solutions would be suitable.

But don't worry, the OP cannot provide his KYC to anyone because he is not the account owner.  I wish to be wrong but, I have to assume we will stay here for another few years.......

Thank you

[JollyGood]

If the BTC was returned to the OP then there is no need to send any KYC therefore what is stopping you from doing that?

When this issue started I was one of the users that advised the OP to never send you any KYC because no matter what was sent you would claim it was doctored or suspicious and would reject it. I reiterate that sentiment, the OP should never send any documents to you.

If you want to send the 35,000+ EUR to the OP bank account you might need KYC but to send the BTC back you do not need any KYC. Just do it and get it over and done with. You will have some chance to at least salvage some reputation.

Because an Arbiter would have to comply with laws and release information to us unless, a Judge would say the Countrary.  Any of the 2 solutions would be suitable.

But don't worry, the OP cannot provide his KYC to anyone because he is not the account owner.  I wish to be wrong but, I have to assume we will stay here for another few years.......

Thank you

[r34tr783tr78]

Well this is a new development. Since when would you accept the OP sending KYC documents to an arbiter of their choice without you being sent copies of the same documents.

Would you accept the arbiter simply saying they have received the documents and have verified them or would you want a copy of the documents sent to you?

A simple kyc with us or with an arbiter of his choice would solve the issue.  Nothing more nothing less. 

Thank you

Because an Arbiter would have to comply with laws and release information to us unless, a Judge would say the Countrary.  Any of the 2 solutions would be suitable.

But don't worry, the OP cannot provide his KYC to anyone because he is not the account owner.  I wish to be wrong but, I have to assume we will stay here for another few years.......

Thank you

You will have to stay a few years. Not here. In jail! I found another of your scammed crowdfunders https://it.linkedin.com/in/alessio-fernando-valenti-93656919b. He says he is a socio on your Digital Rock scam. He is going to be very interested on your scam details. Are you starting to feel the handcuffs scammer medri?

[eliale]

If the BTC was returned to the OP then there is no need to send any KYC therefore what is stopping you from doing that

When this issue started I was one of the users that advised the OP to never send you any KYC because no matter what was sent you would claim it was doctored or suspicious and would reject it. I reiterate that sentiment, the OP should never send any documents to you.

If you want to send the 35,000+ EUR to the OP bank account you might need KYC but to send the BTC back you do not need any KYC. Just do it and get it over and done with. You will have some chance to at least salvage some reputation.

Because an Arbiter would have to comply with laws and release information to us unless, a Judge would say the Countrary.  Any of the 2 solutions would be suitable.

But don't worry, the OP cannot provide his KYC to anyone because he is not the account owner.  I wish to be wrong but, I have to assume we will stay here for another few years.......

Thank you

It is mandatory to do a full KYC regardless the currency.  At least in Italy but, as far as I can see, even major off shore exchanges such as Binance. are requiring a full KYC now.

We are positive about this because, not only our lawyers told us wht to do but, during a routine inspection by the financial authorities, they confirmed the procedures.

I wish I could send out crypto without KYC but, I cant't.

Also, there is another problem.   I'm not positive the OP, even though he had access to the account, is the real owner.  How would you solve this problem??

This is why a qualified third party such an arbiter, could explain to the OP what he/she has to do (for us is a SHE).

Thank you

[Coinfan]

The Rock CFO decided to stop the misleading posts and turned on again the blatant lie mode. Every single word of his post was already completely refuted years ago.

I) When I requested the bitcoin withdrawal on August 2018, his own FAQ said explicitly: "Verification is not mandatory, but in order to deposit/withdraw fiat currencies you will need it”. Just for Fiat not for bitcoin withdrawals
Check here a scan of their FAQ as it was on 2 November 2018: https://archive.fo/BNSfb (in the end of the FAQ page)
Check also scans here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4975753.msg51152105#msg51152105

As stated on the above post, they changed their FAQ on this issue on May 2019, 9 months after my bitcoin withdrawal request.

II) He is lying about Italian Law:  Italian Act 231/2007 changed by Act 90/2017 doesn't demand verification of identity for bitcoin withdrawals (see article 3, n. 5, i). It's the same Law that was in force on 2018.
He is lying that Italian Law demands verification, otherwise his own FAQ would be illegal. And he only changed his FAQ, not their TOS. Their TOS still doesn't request verification for bitcoin withdrawals. Is it also illegal? Scamming pretext, nothing more.
Check Italian Act 231/2007 changed by Act 90/2017 here: https://www.organismo-am.it/documenti/Normativa/D.lgs.%2025%20maggio%202017%20n.%2090.pdf

III) In any case, this legal regulation says that if the Exchange can't verify a customer identity it must close the account (article 42, n. 1) and so return the money.
Lack of verification only allows close of the account and not to keep the money!


IV) Almost 4 years passed. He did nothing beside sending the money to himself and lied that he had send it to a "qualified third party". He just decided to keep my money under the pretext of illegal KYC.

V) No one logged on my account on almost 4 years and I signed a message using the bitcoin address from which I made the last bitcoin deposit on the Rock. Check it here:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=4975753.msg51271058#msg51271058

VI) It's a lie that he has a lawyer or that a financial authority backed his criminal behavior.

[JollyGood]

Sorry I do not accept you jumping from alleging the OP is an imposter to the whole arbiter drama. Who is the arbiter?

Can you provide the name of the arbiter and also state what your relationship on a personal and business level has been with this arbiter?

Can you also explain what it was that made you choose this arbiter over others? Also, why did you appoint an external 3rd party (arbiter) unilaterally without even discussing it as an option with the OP?

It is mandatory to do a full KYC regardless the currency.  At least in Italy but, as far as I can see, even major off shore exchanges such as Binance. are requiring a full KYC now.

We are positive about this because, not only our lawyers told us wht to do but, during a routine inspection by the financial authorities, they confirmed the procedures.

I wish I could send out crypto without KYC but, I cant't.

Also, there is another problem.   I'm not positive the OP, even though he had access to the account, is the real owner.  How would you solve this problem??

This is why a qualified third party such an arbiter, could explain to the OP what he/she has to do (for us is a SHE).

Thank you

[eliale]

Sorry I do not accept you jumping from alleging the OP is an imposter to the whole arbiter drama. Who is the arbiter?

Can you provide the name of the arbiter and also state what your relationship on a personal and business level has been with this arbiter?

Can you also explain what it was that made you choose this arbiter over others? Also, why did you appoint an external 3rd party (arbiter) unilaterally without even discussing it as an option with the OP?

It is mandatory to do a full KYC regardless the currency.  At least in Italy but, as far as I can see, even major off shore exchanges such as Binance. are requiring a full KYC now.

We are positive about this because, not only our lawyers told us wht to do but, during a routine inspection by the financial authorities, they confirmed the procedures.

I wish I could send out crypto without KYC but, I cant't.

Also, there is another problem.   I'm not positive the OP, even though he had access to the account, is the real owner.  How would you solve this problem??

This is why a qualified third party such an arbiter, could explain to the OP what he/she has to do (for us is a SHE).

Thank you

Sorry, but these are privileged information available to the OP only which is also allow to change the arbiter.

Thank you

[JollyGood]

I think you post pretty much anything you want to depending on your mood and the agenda behind your activity for that day. Other privileged information might include whether the victim is male of female or which country they a resident of.

Regarding the arbiter, you are not going to elaborate further because it will demonstrate to those interested that when it comes down to it the arbiter is effectively a ploy being used by you and your Rock Trading website. You have your own agenda here and it seems like from what the victim stated the arbiter is indirectly yourself.

Sorry, but these are privileged information available to the OP only which is also allow to change the arbiter.

Thank you

[JeromeTash]

Is it just me or the website seems to be offline?



Can someone else confirm? Maybe it's just my device or network.