Fake social media accounts: The rise of Cointelegraph impersonators, explained

If you’re a tier-1 crypto media sales representative in 2025, chances are you have an impersonator. These fake accounts—often on Telegram, X, or LinkedIn—pose as reputable figures, offering “Tier-1 PR” services to unsuspecting businesses. When it’s time to pay, they share a personal USDT wallet address instead of official payment details.

Cointelegraph has seen plenty of such cases. For example, in October 2025 alone, a Telegram profile styled as “Tobias Vilkenson | Cointelegraph” messaged BNB Chain to “set up a time to chat and feature BNB Chain in a Cointelegraph article.” This profile linked to an X account under the same name, boasting more than 6,000 followers.

This is a textbook impostor play: borrowing a newsroom’s credibility, promising coverage, and moving targets into private direct messages (DMs) where the scam continues.

Other Cointelegraph journalists, including Erhan Kahraman, Turner Wright, and Amin (Ruholamin) Haqshanas, have also reported scammers using their names and photos this year.

### It’s Not Just Cointelegraph: Impersonators Are Everywhere in 2025

Impersonation has become one of crypto’s most common social-engineering tactics this year. Scammers use it to steal data, drain wallets, and blur the line between trusted media and outright fraud. Here are a few examples:

#### August 2025: Fake CoinMarketCap “Journalists”

Several crypto projects received interview requests from suspicious email addresses such as team-coinmarketcaproom.

Readers can always tell the difference between editorial coverage and sponsored material. Verification is simple: every team member has an author page on cointelegraph.com with bylines and, when relevant, verified social links.

If you receive outreach claiming to be from one of the writers, check that page first or make contact through the addresses listed in the About section of the website.

Cointelegraph is also updating its author bios to include official LinkedIn and X handles, allowing readers and partners to confirm identities instantly.

In an industry crowded with impostors, these small verification steps help keep communication transparent, credible, and safe for everyone.
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