Bitcoin theft is a common crime, but it can be difficult to prosecute. Depending on the severity of the crime, it can result in a loss of money, a jail sentence, or even a fine. This blog is designed to help you understand the different types of Bitcoin thefts and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is a digital currency that can be used online anonymously. It is often used to buy illegal goods like drugs and weapons. It’s also used for gambling, bartering, and even payments of almost anything.
Bitcoin has attracted a lot of interest lately because it’s seen as an alternative to the traditional value-transfer method of money transfer. The most common way to exchange Bitcoin is in person using physical cash, but some people prefer buying Bitcoins on sites like Coinbase or BitStamp where you can securely transfer money without revealing your identity.
Unlike traditional currency, Bitcoin has no central authority controlling its creation or distribution. It’s created through an algorithm that rewards users for mining with Bitcoin and eliminates anyone who tries to cheat the system (like with double-spending).
What are the different types of Bitcoin thefts?
Fraudulent transactions involving someone else’s Bitcoin. This is considered a theft and the amount of money involved can be high.
In this type of transaction, someone buys a Bitcoin from you and then sells it to someone else claiming they own the Bitcoin. This crime is more common than one where criminals steal your Bitcoins outright.
Fraudulent transactions involving you or your business. This happens when criminals steal your Bitcoins by promising a sale but never delivering the goods or by changing their mind at the last minute about their purchase.
Theft in which another party claims to own part of the Bitcoin that has already been purchased from you is often referred to as “double-fraud.” In this type of theft, you may have previously given away some or all of your Bitcoins through a transaction on an exchange like Coinbase. You may also have received payment for some or all of those Bitcoins in return for goods and services provided to you by others through a transaction with them on an exchange like Coinbase.
How can you protect yourself from becoming a victim of Bitcoin theft?
Bitcoin is a form of digital currency that’s transmitted electronically. Unlike traditional currencies, there are no physical assets or guarantees associated with Bitcoin. While this means that it is hard to predict the value of Bitcoin and make money off of it, it also makes it more valuable than cash.
As such, if someone steals your Bitcoin wallet and then uses your identity to make purchases online, they can probably get away with it. It’s difficult to protect yourself from both ways someone can steal your wallet—by stealing your wallet and by using your identity without paying for anything at all.
However, a number of services are designed to help you protect yourself from becoming a victim of theft. These services include:
– Bitstamp provides an exchange service for Bitcoin users to purchase bitcoin before sending them over to another user who owns the wallet that holds their Bitcoins. The exchange itself does not store any Bitcoins; instead, it only presents users with an escrow system that makes sure the transaction goes through securely (i.e., there is no risk of being duped).
– Coinbase offers an alternative exchange service that lets users buy and sell bitcoins in one easy step (i.e., without having to convert them first).