A New York fraudster who impersonated crypto influencers has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for a fake staking scheme.
A U.S. federal court has sentenced 39-year-old Noman Salim of Queens and Levittown. For creating an elaborate fraudulent scheme in which he impersonated well-known crypto influencers, he will serve 15 months in federal prison. Upon release, he faces three years of supervised release. The scheme operated from December 2020 until at least March 2021.
How the Impersonation Scheme Was Built
In 2020, Salim copied the username of a popular crypto influencer on Telegram and created a public channel that thousands of users subscribed to. He then organized a paid VIP chat with a subscription fee of $500–600 in cryptocurrency. Participants believed they were communicating directly with the real influencer.
Having established trust, the fraudster copied the username of a second crypto influencer and launched a similar system. This allowed him to significantly expand his audience. Victims were offered staking with fixed returns for periods of 30 to 90 days, with higher payouts promised for large deposits. However, in reality, Salim did not place the funds in staking—all promises were fictitious.
Financial Outcome and Verdict
Victims transferred cryptocurrency to wallets controlled by Salim. After receiving the assets, he cut off communication and disappeared with the money. As noted in a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Salim built an investment scheme by impersonating popular internet influencers from the crypto industry and convinced victims to transfer assets to virtual wallets under his control.
According to the investigation, the scheme generated at least $1.4 million in cryptocurrencies and U.S. dollars. Salim returned most of this amount to the state as part of a plea agreement. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Deborah C. Chasanow. Salim pleaded guilty in September 2025.
This case is a stark example of the growing wave of fraud exploiting trust in well-known personalities on social media. It also demonstrates that authorities continue to actively pursue criminals, even those hiding behind anonymous crypto wallets.
Analyst's comment: This story is a harsh reminder that in the crypto world, trust in "star" names must be backed by verification. Telegram's anonymity and promises of extraordinary returns are classic red flags. Investors should remember: if an offer seems too good to be true, it is almost always a scammer behind it, not an influencer.