Investigator Sheds Light on Celebrities Linked to Crypto Scams

One Twitter sleuth has connected the dots between criminal activity, celebrities, and one celebrity marketer.

ZachXBT, who refers to himself as a “Twitter sleuth” in his bio, has pointed out the connections among a crypto marketer, some celebrities, and crypto scams.

One influencer who ZachXBT claims promotes scams is Ryan Green, also known as Raichu. (We cannot independently confirm his real name.) Green is a celebrity marketer for crypto projects. He claims to have helped sell out over $15 million for projects through his work.

However, ZachXBT points out that many of these projects were either pump and dumps or rug pulls. There are over 50 examples of these types of scams with influencers and celebrities not disclosing it was a paid-for promotion.

Rappers Worked With Crypto Scams

In one example, Green posts about a promotion he helped organize with rapper Lil Xan for the project Baller Ape Club (BAC). The scam was organized by Le Anh Tuan, a Vietnamese national, who deleted the website and stole the investors’ money shortly after launch. Tuan and his co-conspirators got about $2.6 million.

In an April 5 tweet, ZachXBT writes, “Here Raichu worked with Antonio Brown to promote the NFT project Vault of Gems. Just after the launch the team then disappeared with over $1m.”

In another, Green worked with rapper Rich The Kid for the project NFT Ancient Cats Club. The team rug-pulled shortly after the project launched and stole over $1.7 million. The same team is also behind other NFT scams like Bored Bunny and Rich Dwarves Tribe.

Influencer or celebrity marketing has become more common in recent years. Brands and projects are increasingly looking to tap in to individuals with large followings on social media. Crypto is no different in this regard. In many jurisdictions, this practice is subject to tight regulation. With partnerships and sponsorships stated clearly so as not to mislead consumers.

In many examples, it appears that Ryan Green’s celebrity collaborators have not explicitly said they received payment for these posts.

The ZachXBT is a volunteer crypto investigator. He has “been lucky enough to help form the basis for multiple legal cases so victims can find closure as well as assisting with the recovery of assets for projects/individuals.” However, he has recently stated his intention to find a “sustainable business model.”