Security Guide
What is two-factor authentication?
- To login, you need one-time code from mobile phone or printed paper in addition to your password.
- LocalBitcoins two-factor authentication works with mobile apps (Android, iOS, Windows Mobile) or printed paper codes.
Why two-factor authentication?
- More than 99% of the attacks against you can be prevented with two-factor authentication
- Two-factor authentication codes are very hard to steal, unlike passwords.
- It takes only few minutes to set it up!
Other Security Measures
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Do not use the same password on different websites.
Do not use Tor browser. Using a Tor browser puts you in the risk getting your bitcoins stolen.
Do not get involved in transactions outside the LocalBitcoins.
Do not use the website from a shared computers or devices, like ones in public internet cafes, as they may have keyloggers installed to steal your user credentials.
When logging in to the website, read the browser address bar and check that you are logging into localbitcoins.com and not a phishing domain. Make sure the spelling is localbitcoins.com exactly, as the phishers, especially email phishers, often register domain names resembling localbitcoins.com domain name. (ie: localbiRcoins.com).
If possible, when accessing Bitcoin wallets, do this from a dedicated computer you have reserved for financial tasks only. Do not use this computer for other tasks.
Do not install third party software, pirated software or browser addons you cannot trust 100%. This greatly reduces the risk of getting Bitcoin stealing malware infection on the computer.