Spotting Cointelegraph Impersonators: Scam Protection Tips
Cointelegraph impersonators have surged across X, Telegram and LinkedIn in 2025. These scam accounts mimic journalists and offer paid media coverage to solicit USDT or BNB payments. Common tactics include slight handle misspellings, urgent DMs and private chat transfers with phishing links or mandatory Zoom calls. Notable attacks targeted BNB Chain via a fake “Tobias Vilkenson | Cointelegraph” profile and cloned CoinMarketCap reporters deploying malware. In the US, nearly 5,000 impersonation reports and $2.95 billion losses were recorded in 2024. To combat this crypto scam, traders should verify author pages on cointelegraph.com, check @cointelegraph.com emails and inspect account creation dates and posting history. On X, a blue check no longer guarantees authenticity. Report fakes via X’s impersonation form or Telegram’s @notoscam bot. Strict verification can secure communications and protect crypto assets.
Bearish
The prevalence of Cointelegraph impersonators and crypto scams is bearish for BNB. Short-term, heightened security fears may reduce trader confidence in BNB Chain, leading to sell-offs. Long-term, repeated social engineering attacks could tarnish the network’s reputation, discouraging new investments and partnerships. While these attacks do not directly affect BNB’s technology, they can undermine market sentiment and liquidity, sustaining downward pressure on BNB prices.