Scammers have successfully targeted World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency platform backed by former U.S. President Donald Trump's family, misguiding more than 70,000 users with fake crypto giveaway ads promising up to $15,000.
How the Scam Works: Fake Airdrop Group Lures Users to Connect Wallets
Launched last month, World Liberty Financial has attracted over 230,000 subscribers on its official Telegram channel, positioning itself as a challenger to traditional big banks. Exploiting this rapid growth, cybercriminals placed fraudulent ads directly on the legitimate channel, directing users to a fake group named “World Liberty Financial Airdrop.” As of this writing, that rogue channel has amassed 74,741 members. The scammers promise a reward of up to $15,000 in cryptocurrency in exchange for connecting a crypto wallet. However, once users connect their wallets and approve any contract, their funds are at risk of theft.
Official Warnings: No Airdrops or Token Sales Underway
The official World Liberty Financial Telegram channel has issued multiple warnings to its followers. One message states: “Please be aware of scams and fake tokens claiming to be associated with ‘Defiant Ones,’ ‘World Liberty,’ or similar names. Do not engage with these tokens.” The team also provided tips for spotting fake ads, emphasizing that legitimate posts will never carry a “Sponsored” or “Ad” label. Users are urged to report suspicious content to Telegram and remain vigilant. Another advisory clarified: “Please do not click on any ads or links that claim to be associated with World Liberty Financial. We are NOT doing any airdrops or selling any tokens at this time.”
Trump’s Pro-Crypto Stance and Platform Ambitions
Meanwhile, Trump continues to champion pro-crypto policies, calling himself the “crypto president” and proposing a “national bitcoin stockpile” if re-elected. He recently launched his fourth non-fungible token (NFT) collection. World Liberty Financial, bearing the Trump family name, carries both political and commercial weight. Yet this incident highlights the platform’s vulnerabilities in community security management. Investors are strongly advised to avoid any unverified “airdrop” requests that require connecting their wallets.
As of now, the fraudulent group remains active on Telegram. The official team is stepping up cleanup efforts. Users should maintain a zero-trust approach toward any “giveaway” that asks for wallet connections or approvals, to prevent potential loss of assets.