Are you a Company?
Don’t talk to strangers
Fake ICO Influencers
Part of what makes the cryptocurrency space so exciting is the day-to-day use of cryptocurrency. With modern wallet software like Jaxx and MetaMask, it has become unbelievably simple to easily send money across the globe. All you need is the recipient’s 40 character address and a few minutes.
Despite all of the positive change blockchain offers, cryptocurrencies are still a new technology, and it’s important to know the potential dangers present for cryptocurrency users. One of the he most common threats to cryptocurrency users is the onslaught of fake crypto influencers who prey upon Telegram users.
David Hay is a popular crypto influencer in the Youtube space who is interested in covering upcoming ICOs, like CGCX.
This is not the real David Hay.
Fake ICO Influencers
After this interaction, a member of Crowdcreate’s community management team vetted this individual and was able to determine that they were an imposter. Our team has encountered many of these fake crypto influencers like this before, so we were ready.
Many others in the ICO marketing space have been fooled by this kind of scammer, it’s easy to get excited about working with a big crypto influencer and not worry about the actual person behind the Telegram handle. The fake crypto influencers will compliment an ICO team’s project, offer massive ‘discounts’ and a huge ROI, then rush the ICO team into paying thousands of dollars for advertising work. Once that upfront cryptocurrency payment is sent, it’s very difficult to track down the scammer for reimbursement and for all practical purposes, the money is gone.
This is a growing problem in the ICO investment space, crypto influencers are making concentrated efforts to warn the community about the efforts of scammers
So why go to all of the effort to create this fake account and go around advertising in the Telegram groups of upcoming ICO projects?
These scammers are frequently successful.
Telegram scam artists are becoming more and more skilled at convincing executives at ICO companies to pay them for advertising. Typically, the fake crypto influencers go into a ICO Telegram group, and ask for a contact on the team. The scammer uses their fake celebrity to push for the ICO team member to pay them upfront for promotional work. Then once the payment is sent, they disappear.
Fake ICO Influencers
This is an extremely common scam in the ICO industry, anyone active in the cryptocurrency space must be aware of these scammers. ICO executives and members of the crypto community have a lot of reverence for these crypto influencers, and it’s important to not let the power of celebrity keep one from properly vetting these characters.
Crypto influencers have a lot of power in the community, if a large influencer covers an ICO project positively, that project will immediately start gaining traction in the ICO community. Investors focused on ICO companies really trust these crypto influencers. Ensuring that an ICO company is properly presented to crypto influencers and community leaders is extremely important in the overall marketing strategy for ICO companies in 2018.
