A New York man has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after prosecutors said he impersonated crypto influencers on Telegram and used the fake identities to funnel victims into a bogus staking operation. The court also imposed three years of supervised release.
The defendant, Noman Saleem, 39, of Queens and Levittown, was accused of running the scheme from December 2020 through at least March 2021. Authorities said the operation brought in at least $1.4 million in cryptocurrency and US dollars.
How the impersonation worked
According to the case, Saleem copied the Telegram handles of well-known crypto influencers and used those lookalike accounts to gain trust. Prosecutors said he set up a public Telegram channel along with a paid VIP sub-channel, charging roughly $500 to $600 in crypto for access.
Subscribers to the VIP channel were able to message him directly, which allegedly helped create the impression that they were communicating with the real influencer. The source article says he also duplicated a second influencer’s handle and applied the same VIP subscription setup there, expanding the reach of the operation.
Fake staking offers
Authorities said Saleem promoted what he described as staking opportunities with lockup periods ranging from 30 to 90 days. Victims were allegedly told they could expect larger returns if they deposited larger amounts.
Prosecutors said those representations were false and that no customer funds were ever staked. Instead, victims sent cryptocurrency to wallets owned and controlled by Saleem, according to the case.
Funds taken and contact cut off
After receiving the deposits, Saleem allegedly stopped responding and disappeared with the funds. The scheme generated at least $1.4 million, measured in both crypto and US dollar terms, the source article said.
A significant portion of that money was later recovered through Saleem’s plea agreement. The article does not specify how much was recovered, only that much of the proceeds was returned through that process.
Sentence and plea
Saleem pleaded guilty in September 2025. He has now been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
The case adds to a growing body of enforcement actions tied to impersonation on messaging platforms, where copied handles and paid private channels can be used to mimic trusted market figures. In this instance, prosecutors said the deception centered on Telegram identities and false staking promises rather than any legitimate investment activity.
Source: beincrypto.com