Scammed By BTC2Pay & PrestigeEscrow.com After Following Link From TheBitCoinNews

[Intermediary]

If you are reading this and in the last couple of days have used btc2pay's supposed bitcoin to paypal desposit service, please don't hold your breath.   I've waited 8 days to be sure but now coming across others that have waited over a month with no response from either btc2pay or the Prestige Escrow service that they use.

The best part?  I thought they were legit as they were advertising on Bit Coin News.

8 days ago I confidently followed banner link on www.thebitcoinnews.co.uk for an advert for BTC2pay promising to pay bitcoins value straight to Paypal (btc to paypal exchange).

I did a test transaction of 0.10 btc using the PrestigeEscrow service.  I completed all information including my paypal address and a bitcoin address to receive a refund.

I immediately received 3 autoresponders for 3 transactions from info@prestigeescrow.com confirming. 

Item name: BTC to Paypal Exchange
Price in BTC: 0.10
BTC wallet: 1N8FCyspoxC3XC7Lzzo54qoxM2ibYp8GyC
http://blockchain.info/hu/address/1N8FCyspoxC3XC7Lzzo54qoxM2ibYp8GyC
Transaction ID: 53dd516a20e3653016795153dd516a21311

Item name: BTC to Paypal Exchange
Price in BTC: 1.0
BTC wallet: 1N2xHVfA2u2MtjctvfjoxP6ZheSGhYbdzJ
http://blockchain.info/hu/address/1N2xHVfA2u2MtjctvfjoxP6ZheSGhYbdzJ
Transaction ID: 53dd5ccb6e21f35883639753dd5ccb6e671


Item name: BTC to Paypal Exchange
Price in BTC: 0.10
BTC wallet: 1MyQ921Xxm5AXvFso4xPZi4GXKNApo3hQA
http://blockchain.info/hu/address/1MyQ921Xxm5AXvFso4xPZi4GXKNApo3hQA
Transaction ID: 53dd5db477a1b20045488153dd5db4780f7

Over the last 8 days I have attempted to follow this up with emails and support requests to to sales@btc2pay.net and emails to info@prestigeescrow.com and using the support/contact form on Prestige Escrow.  Again from prestige escrow an autoresponder to acknowledge receipt of my mail (4 days ago) with a from email of info@xxxxx.com !

So do not be burnt.  And do not believe that because a site like Bit Coin News is carrying advertising for a so-called btc exchange to currency service that such service is legit.  I do wonder what measures Bitcoinnews takes to ensure that their advertisers are not going to scam and rip off their site visitors in this way.

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[Justin00]

It might be what this forum does to ensure advertisers don't rip off users... which is absolutely nothing!

Regardless though, even if there was a way for them to verify they are not scams... the sites could run legit until the pass the tests and have their services advertised and run start scamming.

Best to use sites that have had reviews from a lot of users here that have been here a while, as opposed to 30 newbie users saying how good the service is.

The way things have been for a long time you need to assume every site is a scam unfortunately.

I do wonder what measures Bitcoinnews takes to ensure that their advertisers are not going to scam and rip off their site visitors in this way.

[Intermediary]

True Justin.  It's one thing to check the authenticity of an advertiser before taking their adverts, and it appears that both btc2pay and prestigeescrow were active and fulfilling their promise at one point.  But both sites have gone quiet (judging by their twitter feeds) about the same time.  Probably run by one and the same person.

TheBitCoinNews are dismissive of my allegation that they're allowing an advertiser to scam via their site, saying they can't take it down on just one user complaint.  All they'd need to do is contact the adviser and ask for their side of the story.  A very juvenile position to take.  btc2pay were still advertising on TheBitCoinNews 2 days ago.  And will probably be still there a month from now.

It might be what this forum does to ensure advertisers don't rip off users... which is absolutely nothing!

I do wonder what measures Bitcoinnews takes to ensure that their advertisers are not going to scam and rip off their site visitors in this way.