Access given to developer to build crypto app and coins stolen

[19e9ee4a]

I hired a software developer on upwork to build a crypto trading application. To build the application he needed my api key for the specific site Binance.
The api key was setup for testing purposes of the app only to allow trading and no transfers out or into my account.
I logged into my binance account last night to find someone sold all my coins, bought lower volume coins and sold them all for a loss.
This is thousands of dollars in coins that are missing from my account and the upstart software developer is not responding about what happened to my account.
I had him build the app to trade two different coins, etherium and bitcoin and only he had my api and secret key to add these other coins to the trading application .
I have the whole trade history on binance of buying and selling all the coins at a loss so I can prove what was done. Plus the message history on upwork can verify he had my information.
How do I proceed to get this resolved if the developer is not responding?
Thank you
David

[petra_r]

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@David L wrote:
I hired a software developer on upwork to build a crypto trading application.
I logged into my binance account last night to find someone sold all my coins, bought lower volume coins and sold them all for a loss.
This is thousands of dollars in coins that are missing from my account and the upstart software developer is not responding about what happened to my account.
I had him build the app to trade two different coins, etherium and bitcoin and only he had my api and secret key to add these other coins to the trading application .
I have the whole trade history on binance of buying and selling all the coins at a loss so I can prove what was done. Plus the message history on upwork can verify he had my information.
How do I proceed to get this resolved if the developer is not responding?

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• Did the guy you hired have a long successful history working on Upwork with many jobs completed successfully?
• Does he live in the same jurisdiction as you do?
• Presumably you have since secured your accounts?

As for how this can be resolved, what do you mean by "resolved?"

[19e9ee4a]

The guy had only positive feedback when I hired him and has done 20k in work on upstart with work currently in progress.
Upstart is promoting someone that potentially stole thousands of dollars from me.
How would they not be responsible for his behavior and continue to let him work for other people if he's guilty?

[petra_r]

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@David L wrote:
The guy had only positive feedback when I hired him and has done 20k in work on upstart with work currently in progress.
Upstart is promoting someone that potentially stole thousands of dollars from me.
How would they not be responsible for his behavior and continue to let him work for other people if he's guilty?

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 Upwork, not Upstart and the most Upwork can do if the freelancer has indeed done this is suspend the freelancer's account. They are not liable for your losses even if the freelancer did cause them.

You have secured your trading account now, right?

In general a successful freelancer would not likely steal from a client. Most freelancers are honest and a successful one would have to be stupid to risk their account when that account earns their livelihood.

Would that freelancer, had he done what you said was done, have profitted? Did you request the access logs from that trading site to see if the person who did the trades had the same IP as your freelancer?

[19e9ee4a]

Yes,. I deleted the api key and the account is secure.
The app was setup on a Amazon aws server which only and he and I knew the address to and the app is no longer online. I'm not sure if the ip address would be able to be traced back to him in this configuration ?
I'm in touch with binance to see if they can freeze the account where the coins were sold to.

[bobafett999]

Well most likely if the freelancer is not in the same hemisphere as you are you are screwed.

But you could have been little proactive.  Opened another account, moved your assets and given him the blank account.  I would not trust anyone with access to my private affairs.

[19e9ee4a]

It's not that simple to open new crypto accounts these days. All the sites have closed registration because they are overloaded.
I guess it it my fault I trusted someone with a high rating on upwork.

[19e9ee4a]

Right, I'm in the US and he's in Egypt.
How do I report him to upwork so he can no longer work on the site?

[JoanneP]

Hi David,

We are sorry to hear of the trouble you had with the freelancer you hired for your project. Someone from our team will reach out to assist you further on this issue and contact the freelancer as well. Thank you!

[015e9a52]

Hi David, I was just wondering as a client on Upwork, did you ever get this resolved by Upwork? 

I am having issues with a seller,so i am just curious to know how well Upwork deals with crooks, as i too seem to be having issues with a seller