Fake YouTubers on Telegram Target ICO Marketers
Scams have been around as long as people have traded. There are always chancers looking to make a quick buck or more at the expense of others.
One of the great advantages of cryptocurrencies is that they are based on blockchain technology that should be safe and secure. So, it’s incredibly ironic that the level of scamming in the cryptocurrency area is ridiculously high, especially in the area of promoting ICOs.
Telegram is a perfect breeding ground for scammers, who send random messages to ICO teams in group chats, or approach marketing people one to one.
If you are running an ICO, be prepared for your Telegram chat room to be peppered with people pretending to be reputable YouTubers, who, if not found out, might look for funds up front for a promotional video that will not materialise.
Watch out for a character purporting to be Michael Gu whose YouTube channel is Boxmining. The legitimate Michael Gu is so concerned about scammers that he has pinned the fake Telegram accounts on his Twitter feed (
https://twitter.com/boxmining), as shown in the screenshot above.
I’ve recent been approached by a fake David Hay. I thought the approach strange, and thanks to Twitter, where the real man is active (
https://twitter.com/DavidHayCrypto), knew that the David Hay who approached me on Telegram was a fake.
Screen shot of message from a scammer pretending to be David Hay
Within a few days I was approached on Telegram by a guy claiming to be the Welsh YouTuber, Louis Thomas. He boldly came into a chat room suggesting that he could promote an ICO. You can see the conversation here.
Message from fake Louis Thomas posted in a Telegram chat group
PM from the fake Louis Thomas
Again, Twitter was very helpful here and clearly Louis has a sense of humour when he posts, “Getting people impersonating me on Twitter, YouTube, Telegram, email etc. If in any doubt, just assume it’s not me 😊”.
Of course, the legitimate Michael Gu, David Hay or Louis Thomas (
https://twitter.com/LouisThomasYT) never ‘tout’ for business or look for sponsorship in this way. It must be disheartening for them to have their good reputations potentially jeopardized in this way.
So, what’s my advice to those of you in the ICO marketing area who want to avoid being scammed?
1. Note the obvious. Telegram is probably the worst medium in which to meet people because there is no verification process (other than a phone number) and it only allows for a tiny profile of individuals.
2. A Telegram profile picture can easily be copied from another source, so don’t trust someone because of their avatar.
3. Search for the influencer’s name in Telegram and see how many different fake names appear.
4. If you’re approached by a ‘wannabe’ YouTube-faker, check out the legitimate YouTuber’s Twitter account. They may well flag scammers, as Boxmining and Louis Thomas’ do.
5. Remember, there are legitimate and excellent, well-informed YouTubers on Telegram but they’re not going to make random pitches offering their services. They’ve got better, more important things to do.
6. Use Telegram to communicate with people you know but be wary of those who private message you out of the blue, offering to assist in a ‘too good to be true’ way.
7. You may receive many random marketing approaches via Telegram, outside of those you would expect to receive via your bounty programme. I suggest you encourage them to contact you via email, where at least you can easily check the URL. Be extremely wary about paying in advance for services from people you don’t know or who have not been recommended to you. LinkedIn can be a very helpful source of reference but don’t forget that scammers have set up fake profiles there too.
8. Consider hiring a specialist agency to assist with your YouTube outreach. As they arrange interviews on a regular basis, they will quickly spot the scammers and help you become more proactive in your approach.
I spoke to a young colleague the other day and asked him if he thought it was shocking that there were so many scammers at work in the ICO marketing space. “No,” he said. “What’s far more shocking is that people are naïve enough to be scammed.”
I cannot help but feel that because there are so many active scammers on Telegram, it suggests that a significant proportion are likely to be reasonably successful.
And let’s face it, if people have been cheated, they’re unlikely to admit to it publicly, for fear of appearing stupid enough to fall for it in the first place.
