Sentence for fake staking: 15 months in prison for posing as crypto influencers
A U.S. federal court sentenced 39-year-old Noman Salim from Queens and Levittown to 15 months in prison for orchestrating a fraudulent scheme in which he impersonated well-known crypto influencers. In addition to the prison term, he was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. The criminal activity took place from December 2020 through at least March 2021.
How the scheme worked
In 2020, Salim copied the username of a popular crypto influencer on Telegram and created a public channel that attracted thousands of subscribers. He then organized a paid VIP chat room with a subscription fee ranging from $500 to $600 in cryptocurrency. Participants believed they were communicating directly with the real influencer.
Later, the fraudster repeated the trick with a second influencer's username, launching a similar subscription system. This allowed him to significantly expand his audience. Victims were offered staking with fixed returns for periods of 30 to 90 days, with promises of higher payouts for larger deposits. However, in reality, Salim did not stake any funds—all promises were fictitious.
Financial losses and verdict
Victims transferred cryptocurrency to wallets controlled by Salim. After receiving the assets, he cut off communication and disappeared with the money. The investigation determined that the scheme generated at least $1.4 million in cryptocurrency and U.S. dollars. As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, a significant portion of this amount was returned to the state.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow. Salim pleaded guilty in September 2025. This case is a stark example of the growing wave of fraud exploiting trust in well-known social media personalities. It also demonstrates that authorities are actively pursuing criminals, even when they attempt to hide behind anonymous crypto wallets.
Expert opinion: This case serves as yet another reminder that in the crypto industry, where anonymity is often perceived as a shield, trust in public figures must be backed by verification. Investors should always verify the authenticity of channels through official sources and remember: promises of guaranteed returns on staking are almost always a red flag. Regulators, for their part, are showing that even with the use of cryptocurrencies, traces can be tracked.