New York man impersonates crypto KOL to defraud $1.4 million, sentenced to 15 months in prison

A New York man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release by a US court for impersonating an encrypted KOL on Telegram and fraudulently pledging profits to defraud investors of funds. Noman Saleem pleaded guilty to telecom fraud in September 2025 for using fake accounts to attract thousands of people and induce victims to transfer encrypted assets into their wallets. The case resulted in losses exceeding $1.4 million, and the US government has recovered and seized most of the funds.