Binance, a cryptocurrency exchange, allegedly targets and blocks crypto accounts belonging to Nigerians, Tweeps claim.
Many Nigerian cryptocurrency investors have taken to the micro-blogging app, Twitter, to claim that Binance blocked their cryptocurrency accounts.
The investors claimed that the exchange blocked their accounts without tangible reasons.
According to the investors, some of their accounts have remained blocked for many months.
However, despite their complaints, Binance has equally reacted to their claims.
The Cases:
Leading the virtual protest, a Tweep, Ama Judy @AmaJudy claimed Binance had blocked her account for over 10 months.
According to her:
“It’s been 10 months now that Binance held my hard earned crypto, I have reached out to customer care severally, till now I have not been given any tangible reason for this act.”
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She went ahead to accuse the exchange of trying to defraud Nigerian cryptocurrency investors.
“Binance is purposely out to scam Africans and rip them of their hard earned crypto and I believe they are many persons out there that can attest to this.”
“This morning I tried logging in to my @binance account and I noticed my account has been disabled with my hard earned crypto in it, disabled with no prior notification.
“Is this not robbery?”
“Case ID #74336747 for 10 months, highly unfair!
“I was pregnant at the time, God saved me because the frustration almost ran me mad.
“My baby is just 5 months now, Imagine what this situation has cost me & my home mentally, financially & otherwise @BinanceHelpDesk @BinanceAfrica.”
Also, another Tweep, Thomas Doge with handle, @wfthomsy accused Binance of blocking his crypto account.
He claimed Binance asked him to message the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as precondition for unblocking his account.
He said thus:
“@BinanceHelpDesk release our account. why on hell will you ask me to mail FBI just because I received a coin…We’re legit traders release our funds for us #Binance #binancestopscamming #BinanceStealingCrypto.”
Similarly, another investor, Adeosun with handle, @YemsonYemmy, claimed the exchange block her account for 13 months and counting.
“its been good 13 months now that binance held my fund. “I was told to contact a Las Vagas FBI which i did.
“And the FBI concluded that i shouldn’t negotiate that my acct is gone.”
Also, another alleged victim, Dessy Lizzie, @lizlait, said their was an unauthorized cryptocurrency deduction from her accounts.
The Twitter user said Binance denied deducting her crypto illegally.
She also said the exchange denied knowing how that was possible on her account that it blocked.
“My withdrawal was disabled September 2021 ,later trading was disabled too.
“Now they’ve removed 0.48049204 btc from my balance claiming they have no information I should reach out to a certain Detective Brian Kusterer of @NYPDDetectives @NYPDPC. who said I received stolen coin?”
Also, another user, Efionayi Osaro, @debasic07 lamented saying:
“JUSTICE FOR ALL BINANCERS. “My name is Efionayi Osaro and I am a Binance user with Binance case ID #75523184. “Till today, January 26, 2022 I am still not able to withdraw a single cent from my wallet. “I contacted support immediately, they requested that I provided proof as to how I acquired certain coins in my wallet.”
Joining the complainants, another investor, Txmny with handle, @txmny, said thus:
“My account was suspended for receiving bnb from a regular wallet. “I wasn’t given a tangible reason all they said was they need to investigate the coin and I have to wait for a month before I can get any solution. He also said Binance told him that it blocked his account because of a BSC network. He added saying, “I need my account active.” Binance Responds: Meanwhile, responding, Binance, through its help desk, @BinanceHelpDesk, apologized for the inconveniences it caused the investors.
It said thus:
“Hi dear user, we are sorry to hear that you are facing with that issue. If you believe your account is wrongly suspended please refer to this post.” The crypto exchange however referred those affected to an announcement it had made regarding issues like theirs. According to the post, Binance urged Nigerian investors who believe it blocked their accounts wrongly to fill a virtual form. “If you’re a Nigerian #Binance user and you believe your account is wrongly suspended, please fill in this form and we will investigate.”
It said user security is its priority.
“User security is our top priority. At times, we proactively restrict accounts to protect users’ funds. “Other times, we have to restrict accounts at the request of law enforcement. “But never will we restrict accounts without good reason.”
The exchange it would review the reasons for restricting a user’s account “once we have received your case information.”
Binance said it would send victims details of who they could contact for next steps if it was the law enforcement agencies that requested the blockage. The exchange said it was “working with law enforcement agencies to ensure our community remains safe. It also said the measures is to “prevent fraudulent activity throughout the industry.” The exchange further clarified saying, “Binance is not scamming you.”
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