A U.S. court sentenced 39-year-old Noman Saleem to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release for orchestrating a cryptocurrency fraud scheme. Saleem pleaded guilty to wire fraud in September 2025 after prosecutors detailed how he impersonated prominent crypto KOLs on Telegram to lure victims into fake staking opportunities. By establishing paid 'VIP sub-channels' and promising guaranteed returns, Saleem induced thousands to transfer assets to wallets under his control, resulting in losses exceeding $1.4 million. Although no actual staking operations were performed, the U.S. government has successfully seized most of the misappropriated funds.