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Cannot locate BTC funds after Bovada withdrawal - Help Please

5,998 Views | 48 Replies | Last: 1 mo ago by rononeill
William Foster
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I am so unfamiliar with Crypto that it is embarrassing, but I requested a Bovada withdrawal to a BTC wallet that I am pretty sure I had used before with a withdrawal 1-2 yrs ago. Copied the specific address and had Bovada send funds there.

A day and a half passes and it is still not showing up in my wallet linked to that address. However, when I go on the blockchain.com/explorer website, I am able to look up my transaction using the wallet address and see that funds are sitting there in that wallet.

Is there any way to access that wallet outside of the app on my phone that shows 0 BTC? I feel like I have been scammed, but maybe just stupid???

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
MRB10
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AG
What wallet software are you using and are you 100% the public address is associated with the seed phrase you put in the wallet?
TxAG#2011
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Do you have the wallet keys written down somewhere?
Fireman
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AG
Most of the time Bovada only allows withdrawals to Bitcoin Cash (BCH) vs Bitcoin (BTC). If you asked for a BCH withdrawal to a BTC wallet - it will never show up. You might check with Bovada and see if the transaction bounced back to them and try again.

Also - a bitcoin wallet sending address is different then a receiving address, so make sure you used a receiving address for your withdrawal. Best practice is to get a new receiving address each time you do a BTC transaction on the blockchain.

Hope this helps and it's not too much money.

Edited to add - you mentioned the last withdrawal was one or two years ago....any chance you withdrew the money directly to coinbase to cash it in, and not your BTC wallet? You might try your coinbase account and see if it popped up there. Assuming coinbase, could be gemini or whatever exchange service you use.
William Foster
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TxAG#2011 said:

Do you have the wallet keys written down somewhere?


That is the only thing I have in the app I am using that gives me comfort. I have a 24-word code phrase, just no clue what to do with it. I downloaded Coinbase and was hoping I could use that phrase to somehow access my btc or at least get more info.

I am so far out of my element. I don't even know what app I am using, just that it looks like this and has a bunch of diff crypto wallets and I selected the top one (BTC).


William Foster
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TxAG#2011 said:

Do you have the wallet keys written down somewhere?


I have a 24 word key phrase in the btc wallet that I used for the transaction.
William Foster
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Fireman said:

Most of the time Bovada only allows withdrawals to Bitcoin Cash (BCH) vs Bitcoin (BTC). If you asked for a BCH withdrawal to a BTC wallet - it will never show up. You might check with Bovada and see if the transaction bounced back to them and try again.

Also - a bitcoin wallet sending address is different then a receiving address, so make sure you used a receiving address for your withdrawal. Best practice is to get a new receiving address each time you do a BTC transaction on the blockchain.

Hope this helps and it's not too much money.


$1,000. Not the end of the world but I would hate to lose $100, much less $1,000.

Only thing that gives me any comfort is that on that blockchain site, it shows just over $1,000 on bitcoin sitting in that btc wallet address. I would think if theft or anything, the money would have been out of there by now.
Fireman
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AG
William Foster said:

TxAG#2011 said:

Do you have the wallet keys written down somewhere?


That is the only thing I have in the app I am using that gives me comfort. I have a 24-word code phrase, just no clue what to do with it. I downloaded Coinbase and was hoping I could use that phrase to somehow access my btc or at least get more info.

I am so far out of my element. I don't even know what app I am using, just that it looks like this and has a bunch of diff crypto wallets and I selected the top one (BTC).



Having your 24-word passphrase is a good thing and the key you need to recover your wallet (no idea if your transferred bitcoin will be there or not). Do not share this with anyone you don't fully trust.

There may be easier ways to do this, but if I were in your situation, you can buy a Trezor Safe 5, from the Trezor website, and when you turn it on, it will give you the option to recover your wallet. You will then enter your 24 word passphrase to open the wallet on that device. Then on that device connected to your computer you will be able to see, send and receive your bitcoin.

Here's a link to Trezor for purchase: https://trezor.io/trezor-safe-5-bitcoin-only?currency=usd&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMax%20%7C%20US%20%7C%20Feed_Only&utm_id=20806966928&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwrmxqcTSiAMVcnV_AB2Y0gQWEAQYAyABEgK_zvD_BwE

Keep us posted.
Fireman
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AG
William Foster said:

Fireman said:

Most of the time Bovada only allows withdrawals to Bitcoin Cash (BCH) vs Bitcoin (BTC). If you asked for a BCH withdrawal to a BTC wallet - it will never show up. You might check with Bovada and see if the transaction bounced back to them and try again.

Also - a bitcoin wallet sending address is different then a receiving address, so make sure you used a receiving address for your withdrawal. Best practice is to get a new receiving address each time you do a BTC transaction on the blockchain.

Hope this helps and it's not too much money.


$1,000. Not the end of the world but I would hate to lose $100, much less $1,000.

Only thing that gives me any comfort is that on that blockchain site, it shows just over $1,000 on bitcoin sitting in that btc wallet address. I would think if theft or anything, the money would have been out of there by now.
When you open the app (bitcoin wallet on your phone) it shows -0- bitcoin? Does the app have an option to "recover your wallet?" And is this an app you have used before to send or receive bitcoin?
William Foster
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Fireman said:

William Foster said:

Fireman said:

Most of the time Bovada only allows withdrawals to Bitcoin Cash (BCH) vs Bitcoin (BTC). If you asked for a BCH withdrawal to a BTC wallet - it will never show up. You might check with Bovada and see if the transaction bounced back to them and try again.

Also - a bitcoin wallet sending address is different then a receiving address, so make sure you used a receiving address for your withdrawal. Best practice is to get a new receiving address each time you do a BTC transaction on the blockchain.

Hope this helps and it's not too much money.


$1,000. Not the end of the world but I would hate to lose $100, much less $1,000.

Only thing that gives me any comfort is that on that blockchain site, it shows just over $1,000 on bitcoin sitting in that btc wallet address. I would think if theft or anything, the money would have been out of there by now.
When you open the app (bitcoin wallet on your phone) it shows -0- bitcoin? Does the app have an option to "recover your wallet?" And is this an app you have used before to send or receive bitcoin?


I dont know if it's an outdated app or what but I have only used it once for Bovada withdrawal I am pretty sure. Probably 2 yrs ago.

No option to recover wallet. Just gives me a 24 word key phrase. Just downloaded blue wallet based on Reddit recommendations and imported based on QR code from original app and it says $0 balance.

I am super pissed (with myself). I forgot how much of a dunce I am when it comes to crypto/technology. Pretty sure I'll never see a dime.

No clue what that post above recommending a Trezor safe means, for instance. As in, I almost didn't understand a single word.

Might check with a few of the younger people at work next week to see if they can help me. I'm going to need someone to do it for my that's how foreign this stuff is to me.

Will never use Bovada again.
Fireman
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AG
I think we can probably figure this out. You need to find a wallet you are comfortable with / trust, and then enter the 24 word passphrase into that wallet, and then it will open up and we can see if your transfer was successful.

I'm logging off soon, but feel free to ask me any questions that you don't understand regarding the Trezor recommendation I made. Simplified version:

1) The wallet on your phone does not seem to work very well and does not have an option to complete a password recovery.

2) My recommendation is to buy a physical device (Trezor) where you can enter your 24-word passphrase, which is an easy solution to recover your wallet. This will take some time, because you have to buy the device online (pay $175, which ain't great, but better than losing $1K) and then you have to wait on the company to ship you the device.

3) After you get the device, you will punch in your 24-word passphrase and then your wallet is recovered.

4) Assuming you copied the old BTC wallet address correctly and it was a receiving address for your wallet (wallet = 24-word passphrase) then your money will be there.

Look - I don't recommend this, but before you completely give up, I have an old Trezor T laying around, and I don't mind punching in your passphrase into my device to see if your money is there. You are essentially trusting me (random guy on the Internet) to not steal your money. I'm an Aggie and know I am trustworthy, but again, I don't recommend it, because you don't know me. You have to make the call on that.

If you want me to use your passphrase to see if the money is there - send me an instant message and I can punch in your passphrase on my Trezor to see if it's there. DON'T Post the passphrase on this public forum or then the first thief that gets to the wallet will take your money.

As you mention - friends at work may be able to help out too. GL!



William Foster
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Fireman said:

I think we can probably figure this out. You need to find a wallet you are comfortable with / trust, and then enter the 24 word passphrase into that wallet, and then it will open up and we can see if your transfer was successful.

I'm logging off soon, but feel free to ask me any questions that you don't understand regarding the Trezor recommendation I made. Simplified version:

1) The wallet on your phone does not seem to work very well and does not have an option to complete a password recovery.

2) My recommendation is to buy a physical device (Trezor) where you can enter your 24-word passphrase, which is an easy solution to recover your wallet. This will take some time, because you have to buy the device online (pay $175, which ain't great, but better than losing $1K) and then you have to wait on the company to ship you the device.

3) After you get the device, you will punch in your 24-word passphrase and then your wallet is recovered.

4) Assuming you copied the old BTC wallet address correctly and it was a receiving address for your wallet (wallet = 24-word passphrase) then your money will be there.

Look - I don't recommend this, but before you completely give up, I have an old Trezor T laying around, and I don't mind punching in your passphrase into my device to see if your money is there. You are essentially trusting me (random guy on the Internet) to not steal your money. I'm an Aggie and know I am trustworthy, but again, I don't recommend it, because you don't know me. You have to make the call on that.

If you want me to use your passphrase to see if the money is there - send me an instant message and I can punch in your passphrase on my Trezor to see if it's there. DON'T Post the passphrase on this public forum or then the first thief that gets to the wallet will take your money.

As you mention - friends at work may be able to help out too. GL!






I trust you man. I'll go one step further…you can keep $100 if you are able to recover. DM coming
Fireman
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AG
Couple more questions that will help us figure this out:

1) When you open the app on your phone, does it recognize you, meaning can you tell if you are signed in to the app?

2) When you used he wallet / app two years ago, did it give you a 24-word passphrase at that time, and did you write that one down?

It could be when you are opening the app, it has logged you out and the first thing any new wallet does is give you the passphrase, which would be a new wallet/passphrase, not your wallet from two years ago.

You may just need to login into the app, and then you will be back at your original wallet, as opposed to the app thinking you are a new user and trying to start you with a brand new wallet. Hope that makes since.
William Foster
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Fireman said:

Couple more questions that will help us figure this out:

1) When you open the app on your phone, does it recognize you, meaning can you tell if you are signed in to the app?

2) When you used he wallet / app two years ago, did it give you a 24-word passphrase at that time, and did you write that one down?

It could be when you are opening the app, it has logged you out and the first thing any new wallet does is give you the passphrase, which would be a new wallet/passphrase, not your wallet from two years ago.

You may just need to login into the app, and then you will be back at your original wallet, as opposed to the app thinking you are a new user and trying to start you with a brand new wallet. Hope that makes since.


Just DM'd you. It does give me the option to sign out, so I'm definitely logged in. I have no record of past transactions and don't remember ever having to do anything with key phrase last time around.

Last time I pretty much remember it being as easy as Bovada sending funds and then I could send them to my bank acct…but can't remember if I had to use another intermediary app to do that.
TxAG#2011
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you don't need to buy anything

> get a bitcoin hot wallet (software), like electrum. Enter the seed words in wallet setup.
> Your bitcoin should be in there
> transfer the bitcoin to a coinbase account or wherever

easy
Fireman
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AG
TxAG#2011 said:

you don't need to buy anything

> get a bitcoin hot wallet (software), like electrum. Enter the seed words in wallet setup.
> Your bitcoin should be in there
> transfer the bitcoin to a coinbase account or wherever

easy
I punched it in for him using electrum and there was nothing there.

I suspect when he is opening the app, it's been so long since he used the app, that he's logged out and the pass phrase he is seeing is for a brand new wallet, and not his old wallet from two years ago. I think if he can login to the app, and recover his wallet the bitcoin will be there.
I Am A Critic
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If everyone knew how easy it is to transact with cryptocurrency, everyone would do it.
Username checks out.
jamey
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AG
Hope you're able to get your bitcoin back, sorry I'm of no help


I've put about 2% of my total retirement into the ETF IBIT. The thing that keeps me thinking bitcoin ultimately fails is something like this or it gets hacked but on a massive scale
William Foster
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Tried logging out of the app I was using and logging in…both with the key phrase and with email sign in and got a message about being "deprecated"…never heard that term before. Btc funds still sitting under the original address tied to this "wallet" on the blockchain site which gives me a little comfort still.

Their "support" has been unresponsive of course.

MRB10
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AG
If you typed in the same 24 word phrase into blue wallet and it's not there then the address you sent it to is associated with a different xpub/seed phrase.

I'm 99% certain it's the only possible explanation.
MRB10
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AG
Fireman said:

I think we can probably figure this out. You need to find a wallet you are comfortable with / trust, and then enter the 24 word passphrase into that wallet, and then it will open up and we can see if your transfer was successful.

I'm logging off soon, but feel free to ask me any questions that you don't understand regarding the Trezor recommendation I made. Simplified version:

1) The wallet on your phone does not seem to work very well and does not have an option to complete a password recovery.

2) My recommendation is to buy a physical device (Trezor) where you can enter your 24-word passphrase, which is an easy solution to recover your wallet. This will take some time, because you have to buy the device online (pay $175, which ain't great, but better than losing $1K) and then you have to wait on the company to ship you the device.

3) After you get the device, you will punch in your 24-word passphrase and then your wallet is recovered.

4) Assuming you copied the old BTC wallet address correctly and it was a receiving address for your wallet (wallet = 24-word passphrase) then your money will be there.

Look - I don't recommend this, but before you completely give up, I have an old Trezor T laying around, and I don't mind punching in your passphrase into my device to see if your money is there. You are essentially trusting me (random guy on the Internet) to not steal your money. I'm an Aggie and know I am trustworthy, but again, I don't recommend it, because you don't know me. You have to make the call on that.

If you want me to use your passphrase to see if the money is there - send me an instant message and I can punch in your passphrase on my Trezor to see if it's there. DON'T Post the passphrase on this public forum or then the first thief that gets to the wallet will take your money.


As you mention - friends at work may be able to help out too. GL!






I really hope you didn't do this. This is literally the one rule of fight club when it comes to Bitcoin.

NEVER SEND SOMEONE ELSE YOUR SEED PHRASE. EVER.

THIS IS HOW YOU GET SCAMMED.
William Foster
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MRB10 said:

If you typed in the same 24 word phrase into blue wallet and it's not there then the address you sent it to is associated with a different xpub/seed phrase.

I'm 99% certain it's the only possible explanation.


That was the 24 word phrase linked to the address I used which is what is confusing to me. It shows the address linked to that wallet/phrase on the blockchain site with funds in there. Maybe the phrase changed if it's been years since I last used it?

If I need a diff 12 or 24 word seed phrase to access those funds, and can't find one in all my history/searching, not sure what I can do. Will the funds just sit there for eternity with no way to access?

Are there verified bitcoin/crypto hotlines where you can pay for help in getting access to funds in these types of situations?
William Foster
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I get that but (a) I'm desperate and have no clue what I'm doing, and (b) fireman's a good Ag…talked to him and trust him.

$100 offer to anyone who can help me get my $1000 still stands. I know it's not much.
MRB10
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AG
The phrase didn't change. Did you ever have multiple wallets in the past?
William Foster
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MRB10 said:

The phrase didn't change. Did you ever have multiple wallets in the past?


I don't think so, but I used the address from this specific wallet (from the app above) on Bovada, that shows $0 balance now, so I don't know how previous wallets would be relevant. And the 24 word phrase is from this specific wallet. I feel like maybe this app/wallet is defunct or something. So weird

I may just wait until there's a crypto convention in Houston and offer some Gen z kid $100 to get me out of this jam
MRB10
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AG
Can you post the address you sent it to? I'm wondering if you sent Bitcoin Cash or something else to a Bitcoin address like another poster suggested.

I'm interested to see the address it was sent from and the address it was sent to.
Its Texas Aggies, dammit
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AG
If you hit a brick wall and are willing to spend a little money, you might consider a service like the Bitcoin way. https://www.thebitcoinway.com/
William Foster
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MRB10 said:

Can you post the address you sent it to? I'm wondering if you sent Bitcoin Cash or something else to a Bitcoin address like another poster suggested.

I'm interested to see the address it was sent from and the address it was sent to.


Sent to…

3HWEB61cRUZGMH1ohKhZLCXpcc6BNvGVmz

I don't know how to see where it is coming from though. Just got a generics funds sent confirmation from Bovadaz
William Foster
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Its Texas Aggies, dammit said:

If you hit a brick wall and are willing to spend a little money, you might consider a service like the Bitcoin way. https://www.thebitcoinway.com/


Thanks might look into that
ac04
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William Foster said:

MRB10 said:

Can you post the address you sent it to? I'm wondering if you sent Bitcoin Cash or something else to a Bitcoin address like another poster suggested.

I'm interested to see the address it was sent from and the address it was sent to.


Sent to…

3HWEB61cRUZGMH1ohKhZLCXpcc6BNvGVmz

I don't know how to see where it is coming from though. Just got a generics funds sent confirmation from Bovadaz


your money is there, ~0.0167 BTC ($1,049)

address: https://mempool.space/address/3HWEB61cRUZGMH1ohKhZLCXpcc6BNvGVmz

transaction details: https://mempool.space/tx/1a0e7e689237532a30c878a5f48f0810610bcb6fb032bf8ca95153c8b822d548?mode=details
TxAG#2011
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MRB10 said:

If you typed in the same 24 word phrase into blue wallet and it's not there then the address you sent it to is associated with a different xpub/seed phrase.

I'm 99% certain it's the only possible explanation.


Unfortunately you are going to be right. Another reason 99% of people are just better off using Coinbase or an ETF.
MRB10
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AG
ac04 said:

William Foster said:

MRB10 said:

Can you post the address you sent it to? I'm wondering if you sent Bitcoin Cash or something else to a Bitcoin address like another poster suggested.

I'm interested to see the address it was sent from and the address it was sent to.


Sent to…

3HWEB61cRUZGMH1ohKhZLCXpcc6BNvGVmz

I don't know how to see where it is coming from though. Just got a generics funds sent confirmation from Bovadaz


your money is there, ~0.0167 BTC ($1,049)

address: https://mempool.space/address/3HWEB61cRUZGMH1ohKhZLCXpcc6BNvGVmz

transaction details: https://mempool.space/tx/1a0e7e689237532a30c878a5f48f0810610bcb6fb032bf8ca95153c8b822d548?mode=details



ac04 beat me to it.
I'd put my money on the blockchain worked as intended, you sent BTC, but the address you gave it is not associated with the 24 words you have.

Unfortunately, the only way to get that BTC is to have the phrase that is associated with the xpub that address is tied to.
MRB10
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AG
I think many bitcoiners experience this exact scenario. You can either let it discourage you and run back to Coinbase/ETF or let it motivate you to figure things out so it doesn't happen again.

I had a 5 figure loss in 2020 due to my own ignorance and stupidity and fall into the latter camp.
William Foster
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ac04 said:

William Foster said:

MRB10 said:

Can you post the address you sent it to? I'm wondering if you sent Bitcoin Cash or something else to a Bitcoin address like another poster suggested.

I'm interested to see the address it was sent from and the address it was sent to.


Sent to…

3HWEB61cRUZGMH1ohKhZLCXpcc6BNvGVmz

I don't know how to see where it is coming from though. Just got a generics funds sent confirmation from Bovadaz


your money is there, ~0.0167 BTC ($1,049)

address: https://mempool.space/address/3HWEB61cRUZGMH1ohKhZLCXpcc6BNvGVmz

transaction details: https://mempool.space/tx/1a0e7e689237532a30c878a5f48f0810610bcb6fb032bf8ca95153c8b822d548?mode=details



Yep, I can see it there, just zero clue on how to get it as the address and 24-word phrase associated are linked to a seemingly defunct wallet that shows $0 balance. Now I can't even get back into the app that that wallet is associated with and there is zero customer support.

I definitely should have downloaded a more up to date crypto app before withdrawing

Guess that $1,000 will just sit there for eternity or be hacked and stolen by some crypto genius. It's like you need to take a college course to even be somewhat savvy with crypto. If I am too stupid for it, the bulk of America definitely is.

At this point, I would probably pay a hacker by splitting it with him if he's able to somehow miraculously get to it.
Fireman
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AG
Tell us more about where you got this address from. 3HWEB61cRUZGMH1ohKhZLCXpcc6BNvGVmz Did you copy it from a prior transaction on Bovada?

I believe you said you used the same address before from a couple years ago to transfer to the wallet on your phone, and it worked successfully? Is that correct?

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