纽约男子冒充加密KOL实施140万美元诈骗，被判15个月监禁

Odaily Planet Daily reports: A New York man was sentenced to 15 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release by a U.S. court for impersonating a cryptocurrency influencer on Telegram and defrauding investors with promises of fake staking returns.

39-year-old Noman Saleem pleaded guilty to wire fraud in September 2025. Prosecutors stated that he created multiple fake Telegram accounts, impersonated well-known crypto KOLs, attracted thousands of people to join channels, and also established paid "VIP sub-channels."

Saleem told victims he could provide "guaranteed returns" through crypto staking or investment opportunities, inducing many to transfer crypto assets to wallets under his control. However, prosecutors said he did not actually perform any staking operations but instead ceased contact and absconded with the victims' funds after obtaining them. The case resulted in losses exceeding $1.4 million, and the U.S. government has recovered and seized most of those funds.