HELP I GOT ROBBED!

[kiwidoge]

Quote from: the1 on April 04, 2014, 03:58:00 PM

I had made a brainwallet which i tought noone could have guessed and never put my private-key somewhere.


This was a very bad idea.  People don't need to "guess" a brainwallet.  Instead, they write computer programs that model human behavior and then generate all possible brainwallets that match a set of likely behaviors.  Depending on where and how you created the brainwallet, it is also possible that the brainwallet creating program stored a history of the brainwallets that it created so that the author of the program could steal the bitcoins at a future date.


Quote from: the1 on April 04, 2014, 03:58:00 PM

Please is there anything I can do


Unfortunately recovery of the bitcoins is extremely unlikely.  There is a small chance that the thief is careless and reveals something about themselves that allows them to be identified. With subpoena power, there is a very small chance that the thief might try to use the bitcoins at a service that would supply you (or law enforcement) with the identity of the thief from their records.  Please don't take this to mean that there is any hope of recovery.  I offer this information only in the interest of being complete in my answer.  I don't want to instill you with false hope.

As a note to anybody else that comes across this thread:

Bitcoin is still experimental and is still a technology considered to be in beta test.  As such, it is very important that people don't hold more bitcoins than they can emotionally handle losing.  If a person would feel devastated to lose all their bitcoins (or if the exchange rate on their bitcoins were to drop to $0) then they have too much bitcoins.

Hello, I'm brand new to this forum and to Bitcoin, and I wanted to thank you for this information. I wanted to ask you and everyone else what are some good tips to staying safe and to keep this from happening to me?

Posted From bitcointalk.org Android App

[lynn_402]

Hello, I'm brand new to this forum and to Bitcoin, and I wanted to thank you for this information. I wanted to ask you and everyone else what are some good tips to staying safe and to keep this from happening to me?

Posted From bitcointalk.org Android App

Welcome
This is most probably a great time to buy, congratulations on your timing.

IMHO, the best way to be safe would be to keep most of your Bitcoins in Coinbase for the first few months, and keep a small percentage in cold storage. When you're new with Bitcoin, the odds that you mess up by having your own wallet stolen are quite high, it takes some time to learn all that needs to be learnt to properly secure them. Coinbase has more experience than you with this, and they keep 97% of their coins in cold storage. They have been audited recently and have proven that they did not lose any coins since their debut. Also, with all the investors that are involved with it, the odds are high that they will refund you if your bitcoins get stolen because of them.

If after a few months the coins you kept in cold storage are still safe and you feel you've learnt enough about security, it will be time to transfer the Coinbase coins to it

Good luck and have fun - it feels great to be able to truly control one's own money.
(even periods of crisis like this are exciting, if you're here for the long term )

[apsvinet]

Quote from: the1 on April 04, 2014, 03:58:00 PM

I had made a brainwallet which i tought noone could have guessed and never put my private-key somewhere.


This was a very bad idea.  People don't need to "guess" a brainwallet.  Instead, they write computer programs that model human behavior and then generate all possible brainwallets that match a set of likely behaviors.  Depending on where and how you created the brainwallet, it is also possible that the brainwallet creating program stored a history of the brainwallets that it created so that the author of the program could steal the bitcoins at a future date.


Quote from: the1 on April 04, 2014, 03:58:00 PM

Please is there anything I can do


Unfortunately recovery of the bitcoins is extremely unlikely.  There is a small chance that the thief is careless and reveals something about themselves that allows them to be identified. With subpoena power, there is a very small chance that the thief might try to use the bitcoins at a service that would supply you (or law enforcement) with the identity of the thief from their records.  Please don't take this to mean that there is any hope of recovery.  I offer this information only in the interest of being complete in my answer.  I don't want to instill you with false hope.

As a note to anybody else that comes across this thread:

Bitcoin is still experimental and is still a technology considered to be in beta test.  As such, it is very important that people don't hold more bitcoins than they can emotionally handle losing.  If a person would feel devastated to lose all their bitcoins (or if the exchange rate on their bitcoins were to drop to $0) then they have too much bitcoins.

Hello, I'm brand new to this forum and to Bitcoin, and I wanted to thank you for this information. I wanted to ask you and everyone else what are some good tips to staying safe and to keep this from happening to me?

Posted From bitcointalk.org Android App

It is indeed a good time to buy as previous poster stated. But remember it's an investment, so don't invest anything you can't afford to lose.
There are loads of threads with tips on security and being safe, mainly in the beginners and help section.

Best of luck.

[bangi]

Thanks, for everyone who added to this thread. I`m fairly new at this whole bitcoin thing, so this helped a lot.

[apsvinet]

Thanks, for everyone who added to this thread. I`m fairly new at this whole bitcoin thing, so this helped a lot.

Good luck in the future. Do not hesitate to use Beginners & Help section for
future questions. Lots of people around here willing to help the newcomers!

[counter]

Glad to see some good came from a terrible situation.  Always sucks to think of someone losing their hard earned coins.