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66.25+ Bitcoins Lost, Please Help!

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PTheD

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I could use any help or advice in recovering approximately 66.25 bitcoins from an address that I thought I had control of. I have a 51-character-long private key for the address, but apparently it isn't for the address! The only thing I can think is that I typed the address out instead of copy/paste-ing it and miss-typed a character or two. When I try and import the private key to Bitcoin Core or Electrum I am getting messages to the effect that the key is not a properly formatted bitcoin key.

I am thinking there may be some hope if I just have one or two characters that are wrong. Maybe there is some way for me to have someone build an automated program that can alter each character in the key (maybe even based on letter key position on the keyboard; although this is made more difficult because I use Dvorak keyboard letter layout) one at a time and try to import the private keys generated that way. And if changing one character at each position doesn't work then move on to two, and then three. I am thinking that even though this is basically brute force testing, because I think I have most of the key it would still be doable, you know, within my lifetime!!

That is pretty much my only idea, and I don't have any programing ability so I couldn't build the program myself.

Anyway this is an outcry for help. In point of fact this is very nearly 50% of my net worth; and I earn anywhere from $10,000 to $12;000 a year, gross, so saving up enough to buy that many bitcoins was not easy for me. Very much, I would appreciate any assistance the Let’s Talk Bitcoin community has to offer; very much! I even have 10,000s of thousands of Let's Talk Bitcoin Coins that I would gladly gift anyone that is able to help me recover what is essentially half of my net worth. I suppose I will end this way. Also many thanks to those who read this and would help if they could, but just simply don’t have the right skill set or connections to do so. I know the LTB community is good people and I am grateful for it, independent of my situation.

Best,

P The D

Posted on August 9, 2015 at 4:59 AM

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• pooktwo

  

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  Location: Indianapolis

  @pthed I could use any help or advice in recovering approximately 66.25 bitcoins from an address that I thought I had control of. I have a 51-character-long private key for the address, but apparently it isn't for the address! The only thing I can think is that I typed the address out instead of copy/paste-ing it and miss-typed a character or two. When I try and import the private key to Bitcoin Core or Electrum I am getting messages to the effect that the key is not a properly formatted bitcoin key.

  I am thinking there may be some hope if I just have one or two characters that are wrong. Maybe there is some way for me to have someone build an automated program that can alter each character in the key (maybe even based on letter key position on the keyboard; although this is made more difficult because I use Dvorak keyboard letter layout) one at a time and try to import the private keys generated that way. And if changing one character at each position doesn't work then move on to two, and then three. I am thinking that even though this is basically brute force testing, because I think I have most of the key it would still be doable, you know, within my lifetime!!

  That is pretty much my only idea, and I don't have any programing ability so I couldn't build the program myself.

  Anyway this is an outcry for help. In point of fact this is very nearly 50% of my net worth; and I earn anywhere from $10,000 to $12;000 a year, gross, so saving up enough to buy that many bitcoins was not easy for me. Very much, I would appreciate any assistance the Let’s Talk Bitcoin community has to offer; very much! I even have 10,000s of thousands of Let's Talk Bitcoin Coins that I would gladly gift anyone that is able to help me recover what is essentially half of my net worth. I suppose I will end this way. Also many thanks to those who read this and would help if they could, but just simply don’t have the right skill set or connections to do so. I know the LTB community is good people and I am grateful for it, independent of my situation.

  Best,

  P The D

  Wow is that a bummer :( lets start small, can you provide the public key to the address?

  Posted on August 9, 2015 at 2:56 PM
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• PTheD

  

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  pooktwo: I will send you a private message with the public address.

  Posted on August 9, 2015 at 5:38 PM
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• adam

  

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  Location: California, USA

  Even with a 51 character password you might be able to get in by employing a group like http://www.walletrecoveryservices.com/

  That's what I would do, basically you give them what you think the password is and they try to brute force it with millions of variations on the password trying to find the mistype.

  Posted on August 9, 2015 at 6:27 PM
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• lembing

  

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  Wow, that very difficult situation, I think there will be someone to help you here

  Posted on August 13, 2015 at 2:19 PM
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• pooktwo

  

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  @pthed pooktwo: I will send you a private message with the public address.

  any luck on this yet?

  Posted on August 13, 2015 at 2:26 PM
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• PCMcGee1

  

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  I think this post might help you. Contact the author, they use a password brute forcing program that could probably be adapted to brute force your 51 digit key, as long as most of it is correct. https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=717334.0

  Posted on August 16, 2015 at 10:28 AM
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• Bernhard

  

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  Location: Morocco

  oh thats bad, but why you were going to make a so difficult key, is it not even better to keep the wallet extern

  Posted on August 16, 2015 at 10:51 AM
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• ltbc-boy

  

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  Location: Eastern Europe

  So, any progress in the recovery?

  Posted on August 18, 2015 at 5:49 AM
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• PTheD

  

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  A big "thank you" to all those that have posted in this thread. My posting really was an act of desperation. As I have stated before: I knew this community would help me. I am grateful for all the links to potential sources of aid & interest in my plight.

  Any user that has posted in this thread before this here post of mine is welcome, & in fact requested, to post your personal bitcoin address so that I can send a small "thank you" for your attentions.

  Posted on August 25, 2015 at 9:39 AM
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• pooktwo

  

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  Location: Indianapolis

  @pthed A big "thank you" to all those that have posted in this thread. My posting really was an act of desperation. As I have stated before: I knew this community would help me. I am grateful for all the links to potential sources of aid & interest in my plight.

  Any user that has posted in this thread before this here post of mine is welcome, & in fact requested, to post your personal bitcoin address so that I can send a small "thank you" for your attentions.

  18Emgn5f5Y6u2DEqWpcRGAxdP6veDvYtjb

  I hope you got access to your coins again :D

  Posted on August 25, 2015 at 11:01 AM
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