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Identity Verification Failures During BitGo Account Onboarding and 2FA Reset

Identity Verification Failures During BitGo Account Onboarding and 2FA Reset

Problem

Customers attempting to verify their identity during BitGo account registration, KYC onboarding, or Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) reset encounter failures when using government-issued photo IDs such as driver's licenses, passports, residence permits, or national ID cards. The automated identity verification system (powered by Persona/withpersona.com) rejects the document scan due to poor photo quality, barcode readability issues, camera malfunctions, expired documents, facial recognition mismatches, document-country mismatches, or system errors. After repeated failed attempts, accounts are often frozen with the reason "BitGo froze your account due to too many failed attempts to reset your 2FA." This affects both new FTX/Cred creditor onboarding users and existing BitGo wallet holders.

Diagnostics

  • Check account existence: Verify the customer is emailing from their BitGo-registered email address. Search for the account in the BitGo admin tool (e.g., https://admin.bitgo.com/users/<userId>/overview). If no account is found under the email provided, ask the customer to confirm the email used during registration.
  • Check frozen status: In the admin tool, look for Frozen Status: Frozen and the freeze reason. The most common reason is: "BitGo froze your account due to too many failed attempts to reset your 2FA."
  • Check KYC/Persona status — including rejected Enterprise KYC: Review the Persona dashboard (app.withpersona.com) for the user's inquiry status — look for statuses such as Approved, Pending, Declined/Rejected, Expired, Created, or failed attempts. Note whether the Persona inquiry link has expired. A rejected Enterprise KYC is a distinct outcome from a pending or failed individual verification attempt — it requires escalation to the Compliance team and cannot be resolved through the standard 2FA reset or unfreeze flow alone. Always check and communicate the actual KYC status (including rejection) in your first response rather than sending a generic reply.
  • Check enterprise association: Determine if the user has an FTX or Cred enterprise account linked. Look for source: "landingPageReferral" metadata or FTX creditor IDs. Some users may need to complete KYC specifically on the FTX-BitGo enterprise account, not just the general BitGo account.
  • Check wallet existence and balance: Determine whether the user has created wallets or made transactions. Many FTX creditor users have zero balance and no transactions, which changes the verification requirements.
  • Identify the document issue: Ask the customer what document type they used (driver's license, passport, national ID, residence permit) and what error they received. Common issues include: barcode not scanning on driver's licenses, country-of-residence mismatch with document nationality, expired documents, camera auto-capture not triggering for back of license, selfie/liveness check failing due to appearance changes.
  • Check if user contacted from correct email: If the support email does not match any BitGo account, confirm with the customer and ask them to email from the registered address.

Resolution

Scenario: identity-verification-verify-drivers#account-frozen-failed-2fa-attempts

Trigger: The customer's account is frozen due to too many failed identity verification or 2FA reset attempts, and they need a manual 2FA reset and account unfreeze.

Signals: account frozen, too many failed attempts, 2FA reset, identity verification failed, unfreeze, drivers license failed, passport failed

Steps:

  1. Confirm the account is frozen by checking the admin tool for frozen status and reason.
  2. Request the following ownership verification information from the customer:
    • Date of BitGo email verification (instruct them to search for "Your BitGo Email Verification" in their inbox)
    • 3 transaction hashes either to or from their wallet. If they do not have TXIDs, they must contact the exchange where they first received their crypto and request them. If they have not made any transactions, ask them to confirm this.
    • Wallet balance in cryptocurrency (with wallet name). If they haven't created wallets, ask them to confirm this.
    • Alternatively, accept the First 8 characters and the Last 8 Characters of the BitGo Public Key (BOX C) from their keycard. Ask them to provide the name of the wallet the keycard info applies to. Do not request the full key.
  3. For new FTX/Cred creditor accounts with no wallets, no transactions, and zero balance, the date of BitGo email verification alone may be sufficient for validation.
  4. Validate the provided information against internal records (e.g., userSignup timestamps, confirmed wallet balances, xpub key matches).
  5. Once verified, reset the 2FA and unfreeze the account using the admin tool (e.g., bga user resetotp).
  6. Inform the customer that their 2FA has been reset and the account has been unfrozen, and instruct them to log back in and set up 2FA again.
  7. If they had an old 2FA entry on their authenticator app, advise them to delete the old entry and set up a new one by re-linking their device.

Notes: This is by far the most common scenario. Many customers are FTX creditors who created accounts in January 2025 and have no wallets or transactions. For these users, the email verification date alone is often enough to validate ownership. Do NOT ask for passwords, API tokens, or the full keycard document.

"If you do not have the above information, we can also accept the First 8 characters and the Last 8 Characters of the Bitgo Public Key(BOX C) from your keycard. Please provide the name of the wallet the keycard info applies to." (ticket #237244)

"We have unfreezed your account. We have completed the process of resetting your Two-Factor Authentication. Please log back into your account, and follow the instructions to set up your Two-Factor Authentication again." (ticket #87836)

"Unfortunately, we will not be able to proceed with the verification of the FTX balance. Could you please check your registered inbox with email subject line: Your BitGo Email Verification and help us with the date of the email verification to assist further." (ticket #249522)

Scenario: identity-verification-verify-drivers#video-call-verification

Trigger: The account is frozen and standard email-based verification is insufficient or the customer cannot provide the required information, requiring a video conference to verify identity.

Signals: video call, Calendly, video conference, government issued photo ID, schedule meeting, frozen account

Steps:

  1. Confirm the customer is an institutional (enterprise) user before offering this path. Video verification for 2FA reset and account unfreeze is only available to institutional customers. It is NOT available to PayGo or individual/retail users — for these accounts, the user and account cannot be identified through the video path, so it cannot be used.
  2. When standard ownership verification data is unavailable or the situation requires elevated verification for an institutional customer, offer the customer a video identity verification call.
  3. Send the customer the Calendly scheduling link: https://calendly.com/bitgo-client-delivery/videoid
  4. Instruct them to be ready to provide their government-issued photo ID during the meeting and to reference their support ticket number when scheduling.
  5. After the video call confirms identity, reset the 2FA and unfreeze the account.
  6. Notify the customer that the freeze has been removed and instruct them to set up 2FA again.

Notes: This path is only available to institutional customers. For PayGo and individual/retail users who cannot supply email verification dates, transaction hashes, wallet balances, or keycard info, video verification is not an option — the account cannot be identified through that path. In those cases, exhaust all email-based verification options and escalate internally if needed.

"We see your account is frozen due to too many failed attempts to reset your 2FA. For security purposes, we will need to schedule a video conference to verify your Identification before resetting your 2FA. Please use the following link to schedule a time to meet with us and verify the request: https://calendly.com/bitgo-client-delivery/videoid." (ticket #245807)

Scenario: identity-verification-verify-drivers#persona-inquiry-error-or-expired

Trigger: The customer encounters an error when trying to start or complete the Persona identity verification flow, or their Persona inquiry link has expired.

Signals: Persona error, inquiry expired, withpersona.com, cannot start identity verification, error screen, unexpected error

Steps:

  1. Check the Persona dashboard for the customer's inquiry status. Look for expired or errored inquiries.
  2. If the inquiry link has expired, generate a new Persona verification link and send it to the customer. The link format is: https://withpersona.com/verify?inquiry-id=<inquiry_id>. Warn the customer that if they close before completion, the link will expire.
  3. If the error persists after a fresh link, escalate to the engineering team via the internal Slack channel and inform the customer that engineering is investigating.
  4. Advise the customer to retry from a desktop computer using the Google Chrome browser, as mobile and other browsers have been known to cause issues.
  5. If the issue remains unresolved after engineering review, ask the customer to retry login and report what they see.

Notes: Some Persona errors are transient platform issues that resolve within 24 hours. Check internal Slack channels for known outages before escalating.

"Please complete the following https://withpersona.com/verify?inquiry-id=inq_XCnrEqidJmybxGGx1uguHwovQRoz If you close before completion, this link will expire." (ticket #207217)

"Please retry your login from a desktop computer using the Google Chrome browser and let us know if you still see this expiry message." (ticket #207314)

Scenario: identity-verification-verify-drivers#document-type-country-mismatch

Trigger: The customer's ID document is rejected because it does not match the country of residence selected during registration, or the document type is not accepted for their region (e.g., expired residence permit, foreign passport vs. local ID requirement).

Signals: country mismatch, foreign ID number, residence permit expired, passport not accepted, country of residence, wrong document type

Steps:

  1. Clarify with the customer what country of residence they selected during registration and what document they are trying to use.
  2. If the customer selected a country of residence but holds a passport from a different country, advise that the system may reject the document if it does not match the selected country. There is no self-service way to go back and correct this.
  3. If the customer's residence permit is expired (e.g., UK digital-only residence proofs), note that physical expired documents will not be accepted.
  4. Escalate to the compliance or internal team if the customer cannot provide any valid document matching their selected country.
  5. For FTX Retail tickets, confirm with internal teams (e.g., Michelle Liu) whether the issue has already been resolved as part of batch closures.

Notes: Several tickets from FTX Retail users with country/document mismatches were batch-closed as already resolved. Verify current status before taking action. BitGo does not restrict French IDs specifically — if a customer reports French ID rejection, ask for a screenshot of the specific error. Note: documents issued by French overseas territories (New Caledonia, Reunion, French Polynesia) may not be accepted by the automated Persona verification system despite being valid French government-issued documents. If a customer from these territories has their document rejected, offer manual review or video ID verification as an alternative.

"Ideally I would like to use my Indian passport to prove my identity but I thin since I chose UK as my country of residence its rejecting my Indian passport as an upload." (ticket #184416)

"I do not see any restriction with accepting French ID. Could you please share a screenshot of the error you are observing, so we can guide you further appropriately." (ticket #243320)

Scenario: identity-verification-verify-drivers#photo-quality-camera-issues

Trigger: The customer reports that their driver's license barcode won't scan, the camera won't auto-capture the back of the ID, the selfie/liveness check fails due to appearance changes (e.g., grew a beard), or the phone camera is faulty.

Signals: barcode, photo quality, camera faulty, auto capture, selfie failed, facial recognition, beard, blurry, gallery upload, back of license

Steps:

  1. Advise the customer to try a different document type (e.g., passport instead of driver's license) if barcode scanning or back-of-license capture is failing.
  2. Recommend using a desktop computer with Google Chrome browser rather than a mobile device.
  3. Ensure good lighting and that the full document is visible in the frame.
  4. If the customer's phone camera is faulty and they request gallery upload, note that the Persona verification flow may require a live camera capture. There is no confirmed gallery-upload workaround. Escalate internally if needed.
  5. If the facial recognition/selfie step fails due to appearance changes (e.g., beard growth since the ID photo was taken), advise the customer to try their passport or another document with a more recent photo if available.
  6. If repeated attempts fail, the account will freeze and the agent should follow the manual 2FA reset and unfreeze process (see scenario account-frozen-failed-2fa-attempts).

Notes: BitGo does not currently offer a manual document upload via email as a standard alternative to the Persona automated flow. If the customer cannot complete automated verification at all, the video call verification path may be appropriate — but only for institutional customers. Video verification is not available for PayGo or individual/retail users.

"My ID verification keeps failing. I have tried a drivers licence, but the second screen to take a photo of the back of it does not have auto capture on- and won't allow me to take a photo of it. Then I've tried my passport- the photos have been clear and in good lighting." (ticket #239444)

"I tried scanning my drivers license several times. I could not read. Issue with the bar code. I can try my passport next time maybe." (ticket #255784)

Scenario: identity-verification-verify-drivers#ftx-enterprise-kyc-not-completed

Trigger: The customer completed KYC on their general BitGo account but has not completed it for the FTX-linked enterprise account, or they are viewing the wrong account in the BitGo dashboard.

Signals: FTX portal, enterprise account, Go Account, KYC pending, switch enterprise, FTX creditor, distributor

Steps:

  1. Check whether the customer has an FTX enterprise associated with their BitGo user account.
  2. Verify whether KYC is approved on the FTX enterprise specifically, not just the general BitGo account.
  3. If KYC is approved on the general account but not the FTX enterprise, instruct the customer: "Please log in to the FTX portal, and from there, select Bitgo as the distributor. Complete the KYC for the FTX-Bitgo account."
  4. If the customer sees a "Go Account Setup In Progress" message, check with compliance whether DocuSign documents were sent and signed, and whether the account approval is pending.
  5. If the customer is viewing the general BitGo account instead of the enterprise account, advise them to switch to the Enterprise account from the top-right corner of the dashboard.
  6. For questions about FTX payout status or amounts, direct the customer to FTX support, as BitGo acts solely as the distribution agent.

Notes: Direct customers to the FTX FAQ at https://www.bitgo.com/ftx-faq/ for general FTX settlement questions. For Cred Inc. users, direct them to https://bitgo.com/credinc/.

"Please log in to the FTX portal, and from there, select Bitgo as the distributor. Complete the KYC for the FTX-Bitgo account, as we can see that you've completed the normal Bitgo account." (ticket #202883)

"Please switch to the Enterprise account from the top-right corner of the dashboard. This will allow you to access the GO account linked to FTX. Currently, it appears you are viewing the general BitGo account." (ticket #256097)

Scenario: identity-verification-verify-drivers#ssn-unexpected-error

Trigger: The customer encounters an "Unexpected Error - Please Try Again" message during the SSN entry step of identity verification, or entered incorrect personal information (e.g., wrong SSN) during registration with no way to go back.

Signals: SSN, social security number, unexpected error, please try again, misentered, registration step

Steps:

  1. Ask the customer for a full-window screenshot including the URL of the page where the error occurs.
  2. If the error is transient, advise the customer to retry after a short wait. Some SSN validation errors have been observed to resolve on their own.
  3. If the customer entered incorrect personal information (e.g., wrong SSN) during registration and cannot go back, escalate internally to determine if the registration data can be cleared for re-entry.
  4. For FTX Retail users, check if the issue has been batch-resolved.

Notes: The "Unexpected Error" during SSN entry has been reported to self-resolve in some cases. Always confirm with a screenshot before escalating.

"When I get to the step where I enter my SSN, the interface says 'Unexpected Error - Please Try Again' I've tried 10 times and still get the same error." (ticket #278947)

Scenario: identity-verification-verify-drivers#no-account-found-wrong-email

Trigger: The customer contacts support from an email address not associated with any BitGo account.

Signals: no account found, different email, not registered, wrong email address

Steps:

  1. Inform the customer that no account was found under the email address they used to contact support.
  2. Ask if they have an account under a different email address, and request they reach out from that address.
  3. Confirm the URL where they are trying to log in. The official domain is https://www.bitgo.com/ and the login portal is https://app.bitgo.com/web/auth/login.
  4. Remind the customer that BitGo provides support exclusively via email — there is no phone support line or online chat support.

Notes: Some customers use personal email addresses that differ from their BitGo registration email. Always verify before proceeding with any account actions.

"It appears that we don't have an account registered under this email address in our system. Is it possible that you have an account with us under a different email? If so, please reach out to us using that email address." (ticket #192908)

Scenario: identity-verification-verify-drivers#not-a-bitgo-product

Trigger: The customer is asking about an identity verification issue on a product or application that is not owned or operated by BitGo.

Signals: OnFido, third-party app, not BitGo product, wrong company

Steps:

  1. Review the customer's description and any screenshots to determine if the product in question is a BitGo product.
  2. If the application or service is not made, owned, or operated by BitGo, inform the customer: "This app is not made, owned, or operated by Bitgo. You sure you contacted the correct people?"
  3. Direct them to the correct support channel for the product they are using.

Notes: This occasionally occurs when customers confuse BitGo with other crypto or identity verification services.

"This app is not made, owned, or operated by Bitgo. You sure you contacted the correct people?" (ticket #217247)

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