Unnamed grandfather AI image incident — Sep 2025

A concerned family member is struggling to protect their grandfather from a sophisticated cryptocurrency scam that has persisted since September 2025. The victim, targeted via Telegram, has been repeatedly defrauded by scammers posing as representatives of the Trump Administration and DOGE, promising massive financial returns for Bitcoin payments.

What happened

The scheme began when the grandfather started receiving messages on Telegram from an account using an AI-generated image of a woman. The scammers instructed him to purchase Bitcoin at local gas station kiosks and transfer the funds to a specific blockchain address, promising a payout in a future Trump-branded cryptocurrency. Despite the family member reporting the activity to the FBI, local police, Coinbase, and Telegram, no effective intervention was achieved. The victim, who has already sent nearly thirty thousand dollars, was initially disconnected from the scammers in March 2026 after the account was deleted or shut down. However, the activity resumed in August 2026 when a new scammer initiated contact, once again impersonating the Trump Administration. The victim continues to utilize crypto ATMs to send funds, exacerbated by some family members who assist with his transportation to these kiosks. Online advice suggests the victim is now being treated as a repeat target by organized scam networks, and experts recommend immediate legal intervention, such as pursuing guardianship or conservatorship, and contacting the victim's bank to flag his status as a vulnerable adult to prevent further unauthorized financial transfers.