15 months in prison for fake staking: how a scammer impersonated crypto influencers
A New York resident, 39-year-old Noman Salim from Queens and Levittown, received a 15-month federal prison sentence for creating a sophisticated fraudulent scheme on Telegram. He impersonated well-known crypto influencers to lure victims into a fake investment project disguised as staking. In addition to the prison term, Judge Deborah C. Chasanu imposed three years of supervised release.
How the Double-Identity Scheme Worked
The scheme operated from December 2020 through at least March 2021. Salim began by copying the username of a popular crypto influencer on Telegram, whose public channel had thousands of subscribers. He then created a paid VIP chat with a subscription fee of $500–600 in cryptocurrency. Participants were convinced they were communicating directly with the real expert.
Salim did not stop there: he copied the username of a second crypto influencer and launched a similar system. This allowed him to significantly expand his audience and create an appearance of legitimacy. Victims were offered staking with fixed returns for periods ranging from 30 to 90 days, with higher payouts promised for large deposits. However, Salim made no real investments—all promises were false.
Money and Sentence: $1.4 Million in Losses
Victims transferred cryptocurrency to wallets controlled by the fraudster. After receiving the assets, Salim cut off communication and disappeared. 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, convincing victims to transfer assets to virtual wallets under his control."
The investigation revealed that the scheme generated at least $1.4 million in cryptocurrency and U.S. dollars. Salim returned most of this amount to the government as part of a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty in September 2025.
This case is part of a growing wave of frauds that exploit trust in well-known figures on social media. It also demonstrates that authorities are actively pursuing criminals hiding behind anonymous crypto wallets.
Expert Commentary: This precedent is a stark reminder that even in a decentralized ecosystem, anonymity does not guarantee impunity. Investors should critically evaluate any offers of "guaranteed" returns, especially if they come from supposedly well-known figures in closed Telegram channels. Always verify the authenticity of accounts through official verified sources.