<p>If your profits were sent <em>to</em> a watch only address then you are in trouble.</p>

<p>Ordinarily, a private key is created first and then the address is created from that private key.</p>

<p>Your wallet makes new private keys for new addresses.</p>

<p>Please contact the person who gave you the watch only address.</p>

<p>If you do get the private keys then you should immediately move any bitcoin to a new address where only you own the private keys and nobody else knows them, so that the bitcoin cannot be taken.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://bitcoin.org/en/glossary/watch-only-address" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://bitcoin.org/en/glossary/watch-only-address</a></p>
  
  <p>Watch-Only Address</p>
  
  <p>An address or pubkey script stored in the wallet without the corresponding private key, allowing the wallet to watch for outputs but not spend them.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-19T14:34:47.337Z
Other questions on this site suggest that this is a pretty common scam: someone says they are going to pay you money, gives you an address and sends some money there.  They trick you into believing  that seeing coins in that address means they are yours, and you send the scammer some money in exchange.  Scammer never gives you the private key so they keep their money and yours.
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-19T10:51:00.140Z
2018-03-19T18:29:32.577Z
2018-03-19T18:29:32.577Z
Willtech
<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/byEg9.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>Just received my profits from a "watch only" address, where do I obtain private keys?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-19T13:42:43.267Z
Welcome to bitcoin.SE! Very big picture, without relevant explanation in it or link to the headline. Is there something missing we don't see?Maybe you can rephrase your question, and put some more (or much more) information? See how to raise good question: bitcoin.stackexchange.com/help/how-to-ask
pebwindkraft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-10T23:33:35.577Z
Possible duplicate of [I need to recover private key?,](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/84215/i-need-to-recover-private-key)
chytrik
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-11T01:29:53.720Z
They aren't your profits. They're funds a scammer is trying to convince you are yours but actually belong to the scammer.
David Schwartz
<blockchain><blockchain.info><private-key>
Where do I obtain private keys?
Katlego Maphutha
# Where do I obtain private keys?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-03-19)

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/byEg9.png)

Just received my profits from a "watch only" address, where do I obtain private keys?

**Tags:** blockchain, blockchain.info, private-key

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Welcome to bitcoin.SE! Very big picture, without relevant explanation in it or link to the headline. Is there something missing we don't see?Maybe you can rephrase your question, and put some more (or much more) information? See how to raise good question: bitcoin.stackexchange.com/help/how-to-ask  
> **username_2**: Possible duplicate of [I need to recover private key?,](https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/84215/i-need-to-recover-private-key)  
> **username_3**: They aren't your profits. They're funds a scammer is trying to convince you are yours but actually belong to the scammer.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-03-19. Score: 1

If your profits were sent *to* a watch only address then you are in trouble.

Ordinarily, a private key is created first and then the address is created from that private key.

Your wallet makes new private keys for new addresses.

Please contact the person who gave you the watch only address.

If you do get the private keys then you should immediately move any bitcoin to a new address where only you own the private keys and nobody else knows them, so that the bitcoin cannot be taken.

> <https://bitcoin.org/en/glossary/watch-only-address>
>
> Watch-Only Address
>
> An address or pubkey script stored in the wallet without the corresponding private key, allowing the wallet to watch for outputs but not spend them.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Other questions on this site suggest that this is a pretty common scam: someone says they are going to pay you money, gives you an address and sends some money there.  They trick you into believing  that seeing coins in that address means they are yours, and you send the scammer some money in exchange.  Scammer never gives you the private key so they keep their money and yours.  

---

