Fake crypto bot scammer allegedly told investors, ‘Poof, you’re a millionaire’

Robert Robb allegedly convinced respective crypto investors to nonstop him $1.5 cardinal to build a too-good-to-be-true crypto trading bot, according to an FBI affidavit viewed by 404 Media and CourtWatch.

Robb allegedly sent a connection reading, “Poof, YOU’RE A MILLIONAIRE” to 1 Telegram group, accompanied by this image of a purple fairy wearing a mushroom cap. The connection promised recipients they could onslaught it rich | if they utilized Robb’s MEV bot and invested successful nan cryptocurrency $RAT and nan ironically named token NoRugz.

It says Robb asked crypto investors complete Telegram and different societal media for money to build a “Maximum Extractable Value” aliases MEV, crypto trading bot. But aft investors sent nan funds, nan bot ne'er materialized. Investors interviewed by nan FBI said that Robb made aggregate excuses for nan bot’s hold and ne'er complied pinch immoderate requests for refunds.

The bot described by Robb would supposedly scan blockchain networks to find profitable trading opportunities and execute them automatically, but there’s nary grounds that exertion tin really activity complete an extended period. This hasn’t stopped crypto scammers from pushing fake bots connected YouTube, X, and different societal media sites and making improbable promises of 10x to 100x returns connected their investments.

Robb often posted astir nan MEV bot he was building connected X and nan crypto societal media level Friend.Tech. In DMs to investors, he claimed he had built a prototype of a bot that was bully capable to output “enormous returns.” 

The FBI alleges that complete nan people of a fewer weeks successful 2023, Robb collected astatine slightest $1.5 cardinal from investors. But alternatively of nan costs going toward building a crypto trading bot, Robb transferred astir of nan money to his individual slope accounts. The FBI’s reappraisal of Robb’s financial transactions indicated that he spent immoderate of nan money connected a two-year lease of an executive suite astatine nan Denver Broncos Mile High Stadium, a luxury Jeep, and a enactment astatine a picnic edifice successful nan Bahamas. 

The 46-year-old Robb was arrested successful Las Vegas connected March 20th, according to a screenshot of records from nan Henderson Police posted by crypto detective ZachXBT connected X. The Verge has reached retired to Henderson County to petition Robb’s constabulary records.

Robb, who posts connected X nether nan grip pokerbrat2019, claims successful his bio that he is simply a past unfortunate of extortion. Over nan past year, he’s tweeted often astir MEV bots and often warned his followers to look retired for crypto scams. 

Robb hasn’t posted since nan time of his arrest. His past post, published astatine 12:38PM ET connected nan greeting of his arrest, chided his followers for being “far excessively predictable” and promised an upcoming Solana bot.