Svmuu News: A New York man was sentenced by a U.S. court to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release for impersonating a crypto influencer on Telegram and defrauding investors by luring them with false staking returns.
Noman Saleem, 39, pleaded guilty to a charge of wire fraud in September 2025. Prosecutors said he created multiple fake Telegram accounts, impersonated well-known crypto influencers, attracted thousands of people to join his channels, and set up paid “VIP subchannels.”
Saleem told victims he could provide “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; instead, after obtaining the funds, he cut off contact and absconded with the victims’ assets. The case resulted in losses exceeding $1.4 million, and the U.S. government has recovered and seized the majority of those funds.