15 months in prison for fake staking: how a scammer impersonated crypto influencers
39-year-old Noman Salim from Queens and Levittown has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for a large-scale fraudulent scheme built on impersonating well-known crypto influencers. Judge Deborah C. Chasanow also imposed three years of supervised release after the prison term. This case is a stark example of how Telegram's anonymity and trust in public figures are exploited to extract funds.
The Mechanics of Deception: From Copying a Username to a Fake VIP Chat
The scheme operated from at least December 2020 to March 2021. Salim began by creating a fake Telegram channel, copying the username of a popular crypto influencer. Thousands of users subscribed to his channel, believing they were communicating with the real person. He then organized a paid VIP chat with a subscription fee ranging from $500 to $600 in cryptocurrency. Participants could message him directly, fully trusting the fake identity.
To expand his audience, Salim copied the username of a second influencer and launched an identical system. He offered victims fixed-income staking for periods of 30 to 90 days, promising higher payouts for larger deposits. However, as it turned out, the funds were never placed in real staking pools.
Financial Outcome and Justice
Victims transferred cryptocurrency to wallets controlled by Salim. After receiving the assets, he cut off communication and disappeared. According to the investigation, the scheme generated at least $1.4 million in cryptocurrency and fiat dollars. The fraudster returned most of this amount to the state as part of a plea deal. Salim pleaded guilty in September 2025.
This case is part of a growing wave of frauds exploiting trust in well-known figures on social media. Authorities continue to actively pursue criminals hiding behind anonymous crypto wallets.
Expert Opinion: This sentence is an important precedent, demonstrating that regulators are serious about combating financial crimes in the crypto sphere. However, investors should remember: if an offer seems too good to be true, it most likely is a scam. Always verify communication channels and do not transfer funds to unverified wallets.