Problem Description

When performing KYC identity verification on Binance, if the system shows "This identity has already been used" (or similar messages like "This identity has been verified by another account"), it means your ID information is already linked to another Binance account. This issue confuses and concerns many mainland users -- "I've never registered another account, so why is my identity being used?"

This article comprehensively analyzes all possible reasons for this issue and provides solutions for each.

1. Why Does "This Identity Has Already Been Used" Appear

Reason 1: You Previously Registered Another Binance Account

This is the most common reason. You may have registered another account in the following situations without remembering:

  • Registered long ago with a different email or phone number
  • Registered on a different Binance product line (such as the former Binance China version)
  • Registered on behalf of a friend or family member using your own identity information
  • Created an account during a test and forgot about it

Reason 2: Your Identity Information Was Stolen

In an era of frequent information security incidents, identity theft is not uncommon:

  • Personal information leaked and exploited by bad actors
  • Identity information submitted on insecure platforms was compromised
  • ID photos intercepted during transmission

Reason 3: Someone Used Your Information Without Permission

In some cases, someone may have used your identity information without consent:

  • An acquaintance used your identity to register a Binance account
  • Someone obtained your ID information through illegal channels
  • Your information was misused through proxy registration services

Reason 4: System Error

In rare cases, the system recognition may have made an error:

  • Poor-quality ID photo caused recognition mistakes
  • Overlap with another person's information in certain dimensions
  • System data processing anomaly

2. Solutions

Solution 1: Recover the Original Account

If you confirm you previously registered another Binance account, recovering it is the simplest solution.

Steps:

  1. Recall registration info: Think about which emails or phone numbers you might have used
  2. Try logging in: Attempt to log in with possible emails or phone numbers
  3. Password recovery: If you forgot the password, use the "Forgot Password" function
  4. Use the recovered account: After recovery, continue using the original account

If you can't remember the registration info at all:

  1. Contact Binance support
  2. Provide your ID information
  3. Ask support to look up accounts linked to that identity
  4. After verifying your identity, support will share the linked account info (partially masked)

Solution 2: Contact Support to Request Unbinding

If you confirm the other account was not registered by you, contact support.

Materials to prepare:

  1. Front and back photos of your ID card: Clear and complete
  2. Selfie holding your ID card:
    • Take a selfie holding the front of your ID
    • Hold a note in the other hand with today's date and "Request to unbind identity"
    • Ensure your face and ID information are clearly visible
  3. Current account information:
    • The UID of the account you want to verify
    • Registered email or phone number
  4. Explanation of the situation:
    • Briefly describe your situation
    • State that you have not registered any other Binance accounts
    • Indicate that you don't know who used your identity

Submission process:

  1. Log in to your current Binance account
  2. Go to Help Center and submit a ticket
  3. Select the "KYC/Identity Verification" category
  4. Select "Identity already used" or a similar option
  5. Fill in information and upload prepared materials
  6. Submit the ticket

Processing time: Typically 7-15 business days; complex cases may take longer.

Solution 3: If Your Identity Was Stolen

If you have strong reason to believe your identity information was stolen:

Additional steps:

  1. Report to Binance: Clearly state the identity theft in your ticket
  2. Provide additional evidence: If available, provide the source of the potential leak
  3. File a police report: Consider filing a report with local police and obtaining a receipt
  4. Provide the police report: Upload the police receipt to Binance as supporting evidence

Binance's response:

  • Binance will investigate the account linked to the stolen identity
  • After confirming the theft, they will unbind that account's identity
  • You can then redo KYC verification on your own account
  • The account registered with the stolen identity may be frozen

3. Common Scenarios and Solutions

Scenario 1: Spouses or Family Members Sharing Identity Information

Some users let family members register Binance accounts using their identity information for various reasons:

  • Binance enforces a one-person-one-account policy; one identity can only verify one account
  • Discuss with the family member to decide which account to use
  • The unused account can be closed by contacting support
  • After closure, the identity can be verified on the new account

Scenario 2: Identity Used by a "Proxy Registration" Service

Some unreliable proxy registration services may:

  • Register an account with your information but not give you full login credentials
  • Register multiple accounts with your information and sell them to others
  • Steal your identity information during the process

Lesson and advice:

  • Never use proxy registration services
  • Binance registration should be done yourself; the process is not complicated
  • If your interests were harmed by a proxy service, contact support and file a police report

Scenario 3: Forgot About a Previously Registered Account

The most common "forgot I registered" situations include:

  • Registered with a college email that was abandoned after graduation
  • Registered years ago and never used it
  • Registered on a previous version before Binance merged or rebranded

How to handle:

  1. Contact support to look up accounts linked to your identity
  2. If you can recover the original account, use it directly
  3. If the original account is truly unrecoverable (e.g., email was deactivated), apply to close it and re-register

Scenario 4: Issues After ID Card Generation Change

If you previously registered with an old ID number (15 digits) and now use a new one (18 digits):

  • The system may recognize that both numbers point to the same person
  • Contact support to explain the situation
  • Provide proof of the correspondence between old and new ID numbers

4. What to Do While Waiting

While waiting for support to process your case, your account may temporarily lack KYC verification and have limited functionality. Here are some suggestions:

Things You Can Do

  1. Improve security settings: Link Google Authenticator, email, and phone number
  2. Learn platform features: Use the waiting time to familiarize yourself with Binance's features
  3. Understand the market: Learn cryptocurrency basics; there's no rush to trade immediately
  4. Prepare funds: Plan your deposit method and budget

Things You Temporarily Cannot Do

  1. Fiat trading: Cannot use P2P to buy/sell cryptocurrency without KYC
  2. Large withdrawals: Withdrawal limits are restricted
  3. Certain products: Some financial products may require KYC to access

5. Preventive Measures

Protect Your Personal Information

  1. Don't share identity information casually: Only submit it on necessary and trustworthy platforms
  2. Watermark ID photos: Add watermarks like "For XX use only" on ID photos submitted to unofficial channels
  3. Regular security checks: Monitor whether your personal information has been compromised
  4. Don't use proxy registration services: Handle registration yourself to prevent others from obtaining your information

Account Management

  1. Record registration information: Keep a record of every platform you register on, including email and phone number
  2. Use a password manager: Centrally manage account information for all platforms
  3. Regular checks: Periodically log in to various platforms to check account status

Close Unused Accounts Promptly

If you're certain you no longer need a Binance account:

  1. Transfer all assets out of the account
  2. Contact support to apply for account closure
  3. After closure, the identity information is released and can be used on a new account

6. Additional Notes

  1. Don't create multiple accounts: Binance strictly enforces its one-person-one-account policy. Even after your identity issue is resolved, don't try to register multiple accounts with different information
  2. Don't use someone else's identity: Don't borrow another person's identity to register because yours is temporarily unavailable. This violates Binance's rules and may carry legal risks
  3. Keep processing records: Save all communication records with support, ticket numbers, etc.
  4. Be patient: Identity issues take time to resolve. Frequent follow-ups won't speed things up and may actually interfere with normal processing

Summary

Encountering the "This identity has already been used" issue is frustrating, but it can be resolved. The most critical step is contacting Binance support, providing complete identity documentation, and explaining your situation. Whether it's recovering a forgotten old account, dealing with identity theft, or removing an incorrect identity binding, Binance support has established processes for each. Stay patient during the processing period, and use the time to complete security settings and build your knowledge for future normal usage.

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