Cannot log into Binance account. Curious case. Binance Support Center -terrible!

[Start-Traveler-220]

Hi All

I just registered, and I have no idea in which section to write my question in, but I'm growing desperate so I'll post it here:

Few years back I helped a friend of mine register an account in Binance. Subsequently she bought 2 ETH which she kept in the Binance account itself (I know - terrible idea but she was way too tech un-savvy for anything else). Years pass and she doesn't log into her Binance account at all. In the mean time her phone breaks down and she loses the Binance entry into her google authenticator. So she cannot receive the google authenticator codes for 2FA. But since she doesn't log in regularly, she doesn't bother to do anything about it. Also in the meantime Binance stops working with the email service my friend used to register her Binance account. Meaning the email she would use to log into her account is no longer supported by Binance. But again she doesn't realize that because the doesn't log into her account at all.

And this is the situation: Entering correct username and password results in failure to login with cause: wrong password. (Even though we're SURE the credentials are correct since we wrote them down when we made the registration) The "Forgot password" procedure is no good either, since it requires the authenticator code which she doesn't have access to. Resetting the 2FA requires correct username and password - in other words classic paragraph 22.

I tried fighting with Binance Support Center but it only managed to infuriate me! You cannot seek help on behalf of someone else! And if you want support for yourself the first thing is to f**ing login. So I cannot seek help form my Binance account and I cannot get help through hers. When I type "Cannot log in" form my account the stupid AI pot responds with "You seem to be logged in". "Splendid"! When I ask: "what to if someone cannot log in" it responds "You cannot get support on behalf of someone else." There is no way to email a living human being the text I'm writing here. Only US customers of Binance have this option. And when I emailed BinanceUS anyway, they simply responded "We only support US customers". The reddit r/Binance forum is highly restrictive. It requires you to open a case with the official Binance Support Center which I don know how to do, and I don't seem to find information on how to do.

The situation is atrocious. Well the negligence of my friend contributed greatly but I'd like to help her anyway.
I would deeply appreciate if someone can give me any information on how to proceed!

Thanks in advance!
Best regards!

[Rikafip]

There is no way to email a living human being the text I'm writing here. Only US customers of Binance have this option

It should be possible to get pass the bot and actually reach the customer support via live chat, but it will take some time to go through all of their usual bullshit and automatic responses. You will simply have to use trial and error method until you reach them. And once you reach them and get your case ID, I suggest to escalate things on reddit if things don't get solved in a reasonable timeframe as doing that helped me in another case involving Binance.

By the way, something similar happened to me 4-5 years ago (phone with 2FA died while I lost restore code) and in order ro regain the access to my Binance account I had to go through full KYC. The only difference was that I still had the access to my email account so it was somewhat easier to me.

Anyway, good luck!

[Start-Traveler-220]

Thanks a lot for your response! That's great help, I'll do just as you said. And I'll post here on the results I get.
Thanks again! 

[Rikafip]

Thanks a lot for your response! That's great help, I'll do just as you said. And I'll post here on the results I get.

Np, and good luck!

Just to add that imho you shoulnd't mention to Binance support that you are doing this for someone else as if you say that, I seriously doubt that they will want to help you as they will think that you are trying to steal someone else's money. With that being said, have your friends ready when they ask for documents. Best of course would be to guide her to do it by herself.

[jrrsparkles]

Let me correct whether I got things correct,

your friend stored 2ETH on Binance and didn't log in for years - lost access to 2FA - lost password too (wrong password means you are typing the wrong password) - Binance yet to guide what to do now.

Is that BInance account is verified? If yes then you have better chance of recovering the account because that is what the only possible option for you to prove the ownership of the account and as said, no need to mention it's someone else's account just say it as yours and keep the KYC documents ready for verficiation.

[un_rank]

...no need to mention it's someone else's account just say it as yours and keep the KYC documents ready for verficiation.

If this user is messaging from a verified account, it will not be wise to say the user with the issue is him. Whatever documents the person with the issue provides will not match. Even if the op's account is not verified it will not still match any of their profile information. Not being a U.S citizen and contacting Binance US will just give the support guide the idea that it is an attempted scam.

Best option as Rikafip suggested is to guide your friend on what to do when contacting support, following through every step of the way. Be prepared to escalate on the platforms they have a good presence in if there is not positive result.

- Jay -

[Start-Traveler-220]

Hi again!

It did occur to me that I shouldn't mention that I'm doing this on behalf of somebody else but I was honest with the with the support person. Knowing that I'm going to eventually get to a live support, it was quite easy. All I had to do is select the most relevant question click on "Not resolved" or "not relevant" and I was asked if I want to enter a live chat with a representative. I did and a person responded. I explained the situation to them the way I did in this thread and he gave me relevant instructions. I had to log out of my personal account open another chat select "continue as Visitor" and supply the email address of her account when asked for it. Then verify it by typing a number sent to it. "had to call her to tell it to me". After that was done I again selected the most relevant question, then click "Unresolved" and "Not relevant" and I was connected again to a live representative. This time he instructed me that she has to repeat this procedure herself and record a video of herself holding her personal ID card and say the following:

"Today is DD-MM-YYYY, I'm applying to reset the Google security verification (2FA) for my account. I confirm that it is my activity, and I am contacting Binance customer service to reset Google security verification for my Binance account XXXXX@XXXXX.com"

Of course replacing the placeholders with the actual data. And then she needs to send this video to the opened chat as an attachment which can be done easily. This way her 2FA verification would be reset and she'll be able to reset her password without being asked for google authenticator code. Supposedly... I hope it works. We're going to try it in the upcoming days. Now, there's a little problem that she doesn't speak English. So we're going to try and have that text printed on ta sheet of paper that she'll hold alongside the ID card, and I'll zoom to it while I record the video. If that doesn't work she'll have to stretch her English "muscles" XD

Thanks to every body who responded and special thanks to Rikafip for the quick and helpful response.

P.S. Yes it is a verified account. They do have pictures of her ID card and a selfie of her.

[Rikafip]

Thanks to every body who responded and special thanks to Rikafip for the quick and helpful response.

Great to hear that you managed to reach live support and that you started account recovery process. Keep in mind that it may take some time before your friend gets the control of the account once again as for whatever reason it can take way longer than it should, like even couple of weeks. In that case, reddit escalation is the next step.

And yeah, I hope she withdraws ETH to her own wallet once she get the access back so she doesn't have to go through something like this again.

[bitmover]

Meaning the email she would use to log into her account is no longer supported by Binance. But again she doesn't realize that because the doesn't log into her account at all.

I don't think this is correct.

This makes no sense. Ofc her email is supported, if it exists.

And this is the situation: Entering correct username and password results in failure to login with cause: wrong password. (Even though we're SURE the credentials are correct since we wrote them down when we made the registration) The "Forgot password" procedure is no good either, since it requires the authenticator code which she doesn't have access to. Resetting the 2FA requires correct username and password - in other words classic paragraph 22.

If you don't know the password, and also lost the 2fa, you are not in a good situation.

You need to contact support and verify your identity to get access to your account again

https://www.binance.com/en/support/

https://www.binance.com/en/support/faq/how-to-reset-two-factor-authentication-2fa-3ea1490fb94849bbbb445a40ee5e0bd7

To reset your Binance account's Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), you need to submit a video to the Customer Service team to verify your request.
1. What should I include in the video?
1.1 Sit in front of the camera. You need to show your face clearly and hold the information page of your ID document;

And ofc  even if you have her docs, she will have to do by herself.  To protect her account from scammers.

[Start-Traveler-220]

Meaning the email she would use to log into her account is no longer supported by Binance. But again she doesn't realize that because the doesn't log into her account at all.

I don't think this is correct.

This makes no sense. Ofc her email is supported, if it exists.

- Now that you said that, it really doesn't make any sense. Binance sends verification codes to that email after all. This is what she said to explain why she can't log into her account even though the username and password are what we wrote into her notebook, back when we are setting up her account. But now that I think of it: what's more probable is that at some point she tried to log into her account, realized she doesn't remember her password (and forgot she has it in a notebook) went through the "Forgot password" procedure, changed the password and then forgot all of that too. And now she thinks this original password is still valid when it isn't. This is common issue among older people who are not versed in internet stuff. They haphazardly type passwords and promptly forget them thinking "Forgot password" will be to the rescue. Even though I warned her specifically that if she loses her credentials she would lose her money.

If you don't know the password, and also lost the 2fa, you are not in a good situation.

You need to contact support and verify your identity to get access to your account again

https://www.binance.com/en/support/

https://www.binance.com/en/support/faq/how-to-reset-two-factor-authentication-2fa-3ea1490fb94849bbbb445a40ee5e0bd7

To reset your Binance account's Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), you need to submit a video to the Customer Service team to verify your request.
1. What should I include in the video?
1.1 Sit in front of the camera. You need to show your face clearly and hold the information page of your ID document;

And ofc  even if you have her docs, she will have to do by herself.  To protect her account from scammers.

- Yes that's what the Binance rep said, and what we're going to do some time this week.