X sues its own users for running a fake bitcoin news bot farm
Reported by CoinDesk · AI-assisted summary by ChikoCorp AI News Desk
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Summary
X (formerly Twitter) has filed a lawsuit against two men, Vivek Kumar Sen and Zmyang Sherpa, alleging they operated a network of nine fake bitcoin news accounts to fraudulently obtain at least £207,000 ($277,000) from X’s creator fund. The accounts posted near-identical, unverified financial headlines seconds apart and manipulated engagement through coordinated likes, replies, and reposts. X terminated the accounts on August 18 and is seeking repayment and damages for alleged fraud and conspiracy.
Why it matters
The source does not explicitly state the broader impact, but the lawsuit highlights concerns about platform manipulation and fraudulent behavior exploiting creator fund payouts. This development reflects challenges for social media platforms in maintaining integrity and preventing abuse of monetization systems.
Key context
The nine accounts involved reportedly made unsubstantiated financial claims connected to major finance players, such as Goldman Sachs and Citibank. The defendants allegedly engaged in coordinated activities to generate false engagement and even offered paid manipulation services to third parties. Payments were made through shared Stripe accounts, with discrepancies linking them back to the defendants. X’s legal team includes Senior Legal Directors Diego de Lima Gualda and Adam Mehes.
Key numbers and entities
The lawsuit names the individuals Vivek Kumar Sen and Zmyang Sherpa. The nine alleged accounts are @Vivek4real_, @Bitcoin_Teddy, @saylordocs, @TrendingBitcoin, @Kalshibacktest, @PolyBackTest, @BTC_Vibes, @MrSuperBitcoin, and @Laserlump. The disputed creator-fund payouts total at least £207,000 ($277,000). X’s law firm representing the case is Lewis Silkin LLP.
What remains unclear
The source does not detail the ongoing investigation costs or the potential scale of damages beyond the initial payout amount. There is no information on how widespread similar manipulations might be on the platform or any responses from the defendants. The ultimate outcome or timeline of the lawsuit is also not provided.