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The original was posted on /r/trezor by /u/AlarmedAd6977 on 2023-08-04 13:45:49+00:00.

I am writing to share my recent experience with Changelly, a cryptocurrency exchange platform. I encountered a series of issues regarding KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures and a significant amount of funds that are currently held by the platform.

  1. Initial Transaction: I used Changelly to exchange cryptocurrency, specifically transferring 16,000 USDT from my wallet to theirs. They claimed that no KYC was required for the transaction.
  2. KYC Request: After receiving my funds, Changelly suddenly requested that I complete a KYC verification. After I complied, they put my funds on hold and asked for additional documents, including bank statements, records of transactions with cryptocurrency merchants, and screenshots from centralized cryptocurrency exchanges. I was unable to provide these as I had traded with a friend using cash.
  3. Refusal to Refund: Despite explaining my situation, Changelly insisted on their demands and refused to refund the USDT to my original address, which they should have done according to their policy.
  4. Further Requests: I provided them with photos of the cash used in the transaction and my recent wallet transaction history. However, they continued to ask for more detailed records (transaction addresses, amounts, specific times) and then rejected electronic screenshots. After two hours of no response, I threatened legal action, which prompted them to ask for additional proof of wallet ownership.
  5. Involvement of a Friend: They asked for evidence of my purchase of USDT from my friend, which made no sense as we had conducted a cash transaction in person. They refused my friend’s offer to send 1 USDT to any address of their choosing as proof of wallet ownership.
  6. KYC for a Third Party: Changelly then asked my friend to complete a KYC verification, which they had no right or reason to demand. However, since my friend and I live close to each other, I went to his place and he completed the KYC.
  7. Further Demands and Non-acceptance of Proof: Despite providing all the transaction records and photos of cash received, Changelly kept asking for documents explaining how my friend obtained the USDT. They rejected the wallet history and transaction details as valid proof and asked for correspondence with the offline crypto cash trader.
  8. Lack of Response: After explaining our offline trading situation and offering to send funds to a designated address to prove wallet ownership, Changelly stopped responding. After three unanswered emails, my friend made a video showing his transaction history and details of all transactions sent to Changelly, but they still refused to refund or proceed with the exchange.
  9. Current Status: The last response from Changelly was that my case is under investigation and they will inform me once there is an update.I am sharing this on Reddit to raise awareness about this issue and seek advice from the community. I hope this detailed account of my experience can help others avoid similar situations. I’m also considering about sending a lawsuit against them but I’ve got no idea about where to startI will also keep this thread updated until I got my money whether in XMR or USDT