- The counterfeit Lil Tay token aimed to capitalize on the news of her supposed demise.
- Lil Tay’s online persona reportedly inspired the token.
A fake cryptocurrency token named after controversial teenage influencer Lil Tay emerged shortly after the announcement of her alleged death. The news was released via her verified Instagram account. Consequently, the fraudulent Lil Tay cryptocurrency was launched on the BNB Smart Chain, featuring a limited supply of just 100 coins.
Claire Hope, the 15-year-old behind the Lil Tay persona, gained notoriety for her bold online presence and staged controversies.
Fraudulent Lil Tay token emerges amid confusion over death
The fake token’s launch took place in the early hours of 10 August, just a few hours after news of Lil Tay’s alleged death went viral. The fake launch contained just 100 tokens, most likely an attempt to cash out on her alleged death.
To add to the confusion, following the launch of the fake token, the team behind the teenage influencer’s real crypto token issued a statement. The official @LiltayToken account emphasized that there had been no token launch from their end. Moreover, they affirmed that their tokens were still in development.
The official account stressed that any token or coin bearing Lil Tay’s name (other than theirs) was a scam.
Sharing this to let everybody know that we will not be launching anything soon. We’ve been in development for 4-5 months now.
If anybody is reaching out to you for money saying they’re involved with $liltay it’s not true.
If you see another token/coin with liltay it’s a scam.
— Liltay Token (@LiltayToken) August 10, 2023
Lil Tay became famous at the age of nine for posting pictures in luxury vehicles while wearing designer clothes. She began posting rap videos on YouTube as well, which garnered millions of views. Her antics drew substantial attention, often sparking discussions and debates within social media circles.
The circumstances surrounding Lil Tay’s purported death grew more perplexing when a new post surfaced just 24 hours after the announcement. The subsequent post claimed that the earlier news of her passing was the result of hacking and affirmed that she was alive.
In an age of social media influence, these crypto scams underscore the challenges of the digital realm. The incident also raises concerns about the exploitation of trending topics for personal gain.
