Consumer complaint received 2026-04-19 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Coinbase, Inc.
State: FL

Complaint narrative:
I am a victim of an ongoing violent extortion scheme. I was forced to transfer Bitcoin from my Coinbase account under duress, under threat of physical harm, and without my genuine consent. Coinbase has denied my fraud claim despite my providing a police report and FTC Identity Theft Report. CRIMINAL BACKGROUND : I have been held at gunpoint twice and threatened with a hitman. The extortion scheme has stolen over {$5.00} XXXX from me. I have filed a police report with the XXXX XXXX Police Department ( Case # : XXXX ) and an FTC Identity Theft Report ( Report # : XXXX ). UNAUTHORIZED BITCOIN TRANSFERS ( all made under duress ) : I was forced to transfer Bitcoin from my Coinbase account to wallets controlled by the perpetrators. These transfers were made under threat of physical harm ( held at gunpoint twice, threatened with a hitman ). I did NOT authorize these transfers voluntarily. Consent obtained through duress is not valid consent under the law. [ If you have transaction hashes, wallet addresses, dates, and amounts, list them here. If not, state : " I request that Coinbase provide me with complete transaction records for my account, including transaction hashes, destination wallet addresses, timestamps, and amounts. '' ] COINBASE 'S RESPONSE : Coinbase denied my fraud claim despite my providing : - A formal police report ( Case # : XXXX ) - An FTC Identity Theft Report ( Report # : XXXX ) - Documentation of the extortion scheme including gunpoint threats Coinbase refuses to reverse these coerced Bitcoin transfers. Coinbase claims the transfers were " authorized '' because I accessed my account. However, authorization obtained through force, threats, and intimidation is not valid consent under the law. LEGAL VIOLATIONS : XXXX. Electronic Fund Transfer Act ( EFTA ) and Regulation E Violation : Under EFTA and Regulation E, Coinbase qualifies as a " financial institution '' and is required to reimburse customers for unauthorized electronic fund transfers, even if the customer acted negligently. When access credentials are obtained through force or intimidation, transfers are unauthorized. I was held at gunpoint and threatened with a hitman. Coinbase has failed to investigate and reverse these unauthorized transfers. 2. Failure to Provide Provisional Credit : Under Regulation E, Coinbase must provide provisional credit within 10 business days of my fraud report if the investigation takes longer. Coinbase has not provided provisional credit for these coerced Bitcoin transfers. 3. Unfair and Deceptive Practices : Coinbase markets itself as a secure platform with proprietary fraud detection tools. The company also represents that it carries crime insurance for losses caused by security breaches. Coinbase 's denial of my fraud claim despite clear evidence of criminal extortion at gunpoint constitutes an unfair and deceptive practice. XXXX. Precedent for Duress Cases : A North Carolina couple suffered a home invasion where robbers forced the husband at gunpoint to give them access to his Coinbase account, transferring {$150000.00} in Bitcoin and Ethereum. Coinbase ultimately reimbursed that couple. My case involves the same type of duress but with a broader criminal organization and much larger losses. Coinbase has the discretion to reimburse, yet has refused. PRIOR RESOLUTION ATTEMPTS : I have attempted to resolve this matter directly with Coinbase multiple times : - I called Coinbase Security at XXXX - I emailed XXXX XXXX XXXX - I submitted support tickets via XXXX - I provided my police report and FTC Identity Theft Report - Coinbase denied my claim and refused to reverse the coerced Bitcoin transfers RELIEF REQUESTED : XXXX. Full investigation of all coerced Bitcoin transfers on my Coinbase account. XXXX. Reversal of all unauthorized Bitcoin transfers made under duress. XXXX. Provisional credit as required under Regulation E for all disputed electronic fund transfers while the investigation is ongoing. XXXX. Provision of complete transaction records for my account, including transaction hashes, destination wallet addresses, timestamps, and amounts. XXXX. Written confirmation of resolution. I have attached my police report ( Case # : XXXX ) and FTC Identity Theft Report ( Report # : XXXX ) as evidence. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. " " Section 6 : Desired Resolution Select or write : Desired resolution : " Investigation of my fraud claim, reversal of all coerced Bitcoin transfers, provisional credit under Regulation E, provision of complete transaction records, and written confirmation. '' Section 7 : Attachments Attach the following documents ( if available ) : Document Attached? Police report ( Case # : XXXX ) FTC Identity Theft Report ( Report # : XXXX )

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation