YouTuber baits MMA fighter into secretly shilling fake NFTs for $1K

cointelegraph.com:

Coffeezilla, a YouTuber and crypto investigator, revealed that American mixed martial artist Dillon Danis promoted a fake NFT project without disclosing that he received $1,000 for the advertisement.

We just tricked Dillon Danis into promoting a fake NFT project. We paid him $1,000 to post, he didn't disclose it was an #AD, and posted copy that literally spells out S.C.A.M. pic.twitter.com/SVo2SCoN9q

In the promotion, Danis tweeted out a digital image along with a website URL, which according to Coffeezilla, “literally spells out S.C.A.M.” A further investigation from Cointelegraph shows that the website URL was newly created on Feb. 1, 2023, an important clue to check when checking the credibility of new projects.

Moreover, the website FAQ clearly mentions that no investors can get hold of the “Sourz” NFTs, a crucial piece of information overlooked by the MMA fighter.

A similar incident involving Kim Kardashian was flagged in June 2021 by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as she promoted EthereumMax (EMAX) crypto token to her 330 million Instagram followers. According to the SEC, Kardashian violated the anti-touting provision of the Securities Act by failing to disclose the $250,000 she had received for the promotion.

However, Coffeezilla ensured that the users who fell for the scam NFT project were notified immediately. When users click the “Mint Sourz” button (as shown in the above screenshot), they are redirected to a website that cautions against a possible scam.

While Coffeezilla plans to share more information on this through a follow-up video, the incident comes as a strong reminder for influencers and investors to conduct thorough research (DYOR) before promoting or investing in a project.

Related: FBI