EOS BEGINNERS: Stolen EOS - How To File With ECAF
If your EOS has been stolen, or your account has been compromised by a thief, immediately file a claim with ECAF. GO HERE, DO NOT STOP, GO: https://eoscorearbitration.io/file-a-claim/.
Time is of the essence. If you had your EOS staked, you only have 72 hours to get your account frozen. This means when you file a claim, ECAF should then have 72 hours to review your claim and respond. IF THEY THINK YOUR CLAIM IS REASONABLE, they will ask the top 21 BPs, as well as all other standby BPs, to update their blacklists so that any requested transactions with your account do not go through. If you do not act quickly, it is most likely that your EOS will not be saved; therefore the onus to act fast is on YOU.
If your EOS were not staked you need to act even faster! Not only should you file a claim, but you should reach out to community members in EOS 911 to alert the community about what has happened to your account. You can also reach out to your favorite BPs on Telegram to tell them what is happening AFTER you have filed a claim so that their teams can be prepped and prepared for a potential freeze request to come through.
HOW TO FILE A CLAIM WITH ECAF
ECAF has a general information website that you can pursue to learn more about them https://eoscorearbitration.io/.
You can file a claim with ECAF here: https://eoscorearbitration.io/file-a-claim/.
Email ECAF: ecaf.claims@eoscorearbitration.io.
WHAT IS ECAF?
The EOS CORE ARBITRATION FORUM (ECAF) is an arbitration forum that serves the EOS mainnet blockchain. ECAF was created specifically to serve the EOS community and is appointed as the base layer arbitration forum in the EOS constitution. ECAF can oversee any kind of disputes between EOS community members, and thus, is able to help you reclaim your account and/or tokens if you ever experience a hack or get scammed.
Regarding hacks, ECAF is most effective if your tokens were staked, as it would take a thief 72 hours to unstake them and move them. If your coins were not staked and you were hacked, you are much less likely to get your coins back as the thief could instantly move them to an exchange and sell them.
ECAF does not just deal with hacks and phishing attempts however, they also can help arbitrate any disagreement between two EOS community members. A claim can be filed about anything and everything. It is important to remember that only claims the forum thinks are legitimate and worthwhile will be selected for review.
BRIEF HISTORY OF ECAF
EOS Core Arbitration Forum (or ECAF) is the base layer arbitration forum for the EOS mainnet. ECAF was created pre-launch by then block.one employees Thomas Cox and Ian Griggs, among others. The idea was to create a blockchain with governance above and beyond what has been previously available to blockchain users.
After launch, the EOS ICO, which had users purchasing ERC-20 tokens on the Ethereum blockchain, resulted in mass confusion as users were not sure what to do to claim their actual EOS once the EOS blockchain was live. A number of accounts filed for arbitration claiming that their private keys had been compromised, others filed due to lost keys. ECAF sent out requests to BPs to freeze the potentially compromised accounts, causing outcry from some community members that did not believe that accounts should be able to be frozen. The events prompted a new constitution by Dan Larimer, block.one CTO, which did not include ECAF.
Currently, ECAF still exists, but faces a number of hurdles. It is unfunded, understaffed, and faces daily criticism from community members that do not think the forum should exist. Still, the steadfast volunteers at ECAF continue to process cases and request account freezes when they deem it necessary.
In the EOS community, EVERYONE has a role to play. To find your special niche join the EOS GO telegram group and learn about how you can contribute to the EOS ecosystem.