New York man sentenced to 15 months in prison for $1.4 million crypto impersonation scam targeting KOLs
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 to defraud investors with promises of fake staking returns.
Noman Saleem, 39, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in September 2025. Prosecutors stated that he created multiple fake Telegram accounts, impersonating well-known crypto influencers, to attract thousands of users to his channels and also set up paid "VIP sub-channels."
Saleem told victims that he could offer "guaranteed returns" through crypto staking or investment opportunities, inducing many to transfer their crypto assets to wallets under his control. However, prosecutors stated that he did not actually perform any staking operations and instead ceased communication after receiving the funds, absconding with the victims' assets. The scheme caused losses exceeding $1.4 million. U.S. authorities have recovered and seized most of these funds.
