Swirling Allegations: SilverDegenClub "Acquired" a "BlackHat" Fake YouTube Channel Pre-Loaded with over 100,000 Subscribers
DRAFT: Still Under Investigation
DRAFT: Still under investigation
In a shocking turn of events, an inglorious Reddit “silver” influencer named Conrad Kirakosian has been busted for engaging in deceptive practices to inflate his SilverDegenClub, WallStreetSilver, and SilverWars YouTube online popularity.
This article focuses on his YouTube URL, https://www.youtube.com/@SilverWars (which was still uploaded at the time of the report).
We tried to reach Kirakosian for a comment, but his phone number is no longer in service. Hummm?
It's alleged that Kirakosian purchased a YouTube channel called SilverWARS through an underground forum called "Black Hat World" to create the illusion of a large following.
One anonymous witness said, WE HAVE PROOF AND ARE ALSO SEEKING FURTHER COOPERATION WITH GOOGLE, WHO OWNS YOUTUBE.
The alleged fraudster and “ influencer” is somewhat of a mystery. No one has ever seen Conrad Kirakosian's face, and he hides behind an animated King's Crown and calls himself various nonsensical nicknames like "Dumb money media" or "Meme Sugar Daddy" and other immature pseudonyms and fake personas. This is typical with this SilverDegenClub (also, someone going by "Illuminated Ape" also appears to makes SilverDegenClub decisions). No one has seen his real face in the Case of Illuminated Ape or Kirakosian; they use avatars instead of their faces.
Kirakosian then leveraged this artificial popularity to secure sponsorship deals, misleading companies about Kirakosian's influence and reach.
This scheme came to light when discrepancies were noticed by a third-party Pixy LLC business partner (Pickaxe), a respected journalist in the community .
Upon discovering this fraud, Pickaxe or Jon Little immediately sent a letter of resignation and press releases stating that he was no longer affiliated with these mysterious characters. Little stated, "At age 62 I learned a valuable lesson, never do business with anyone you have not met in person, it's embarrassing being Catfished in this bizarre story"
The whistleblower (Pickaxe) had entrusted the YouTube channel's management to the alleged person involved in deceptive acts, the aforementioned Conrad Kirakosian, while (Pickaxe) focused on deliverables and writing his popular newsletter (this very newsletter called Silver Academy and Pickaxe.)
Jon Little stated, "I don't think Kirakosian broke any laws as their is no law he is aware of saying one can't purchase YouTube channels from Black Hat sources, but it's dancing in the grey ethical zone (and sleazy) because it may mislead the public on the degree of influence and the irony here is this is what Kirakosian said Jim Lewis had done before Kirakosian taking over the reigns of these Reddit communities"
Upon discovering the deception, the (Pickaxe) journalist felt compelled to expose the truth to protect his reputation and inform the public.
Critical points of investigation and discovery:
The accused Kirakosian Degenerate purchased a pre-existing YouTube channel with inflated subscriber numbers and view counts.
He purchased this existing account that was foreign-based and allegedly crypto fans from a shadowy “black hat world” see notes below.
Conrad Kirakosian's (the alleged fraudster) may have used this artificial popularity to attempt to secure sponsorship deals under false pretenses.
Jon Little maintains (despite the fraudsters' deceptive practice) that Silver Academy is protected and governed under Article 230 of the Communications Decency Act.)
Silver Academy is a web aggregator like ZeroHedge that reposts content from popular writers such as James Hickman, Ron Paul, Vince Lanci, and other PM technical analysts.
When posting content from other writers, the norm is to credit the writer and include the source's origin URL or provide a backlink.
Silver Academy newsletter and other social media support substantiated the ROI in terms of contracted deliverables.
Little stated when he promoted a mining company he made a habit of writing the IR or SEO with a note stating "Your Mining company was featured today" and then include the relevant URL
The legitimate journalist ( The Pickaxe) unknowingly entered into informal business coalitions with Kirakosian, an alleged fraudster. Upon discovering his deception, Jon Little went to great lengths to resign.
and another post below,
and message sponsors via email
The whistleblower (Pickaxe) has come forward to clear his name, distance himself, and expose some SilverDegenClub and WallStreetSilver Reddit mods Kirakosian's alleged fraudulent practices.
The whistleblower (Pickaxe) figured it out when the alleged fraudster Kirakosian began to fold, waffler, waver, duck, give inconsistent stories and flounder under questioning about the oddities surrounding Kirakosian’s YouTube station titled “SilverWars”
Little questioned what he calls "bizarre and atypical viewing patterns, counts, subscribers and missing comments."
This incident highlights the growing problem of social media manipulation and the importance of due diligence in influencer partnerships.
It serves as a cautionary tale for businesses and consumers to be wary of inflated online metrics and verify social media influencers' authenticity.
The investigation is ongoing, and internet authorities are urging anyone with information about this case to come forward.
As this story develops, we remain committed to providing accurate and transparent reporting on this matter and will provide any response from those alleged to have engaged in deceptive social media practices.
Jon Little also alleges or points out that Conrad Kirakosian allegedly used his WallStreetSilver and SilverDegenClub platforms to establish a profound and disturbing negative pattern of using these quasi-silver investing subreddits for his own profit.
RE: These further allegations. Kirakosian using a subreddit to sell products or run ads as a moderator violates Reddit's Terms of Service and Moderator Code of Conduct in many ways:
Profiting from moderation: Moderators are not allowed to perform moderation actions in return for any form of compensation, consideration, gift, or favor.
Conflict of interest: Moderators should not use their position to benefit themselves, their business, or any third party
Violation of user agreement: Reddit's user agreement prohibits using the Services to violate applicable laws or infringe on any person's or entity's proprietary rights.
Misuse of non-public information: Moderators with access to non-public information are only allowed to use it in connection with their performance as a moderator.
Manipulation of content: Removing negative feedback and only allowing positive PR for a product or company goes against the spirit of open discussion on Reddit.
Unauthorized advertising: It is not permitted to use a subreddit for free promotion or as a means of advertising without going through Reddit's official advertising channels.
Violation of Content Policy: Such actions may also violate Reddit's Content Policy, which is incorporated into the User Agreement
Moderators who engage in these practices risk having their moderator status revoked, their accounts suspended, or even permanently banned from the platform
Reddit administrators have the right to overturn moderator decisions if they believe such actions are not in the interest of Reddit or the Reddit community
If you suspect moderators are violating Reddit's terms and conditions, there isn't a specific email address to notify. However, Reddit provides several ways to report such violations:
Use the report form: You can submit a report for Moderator Code of Conduct violations using this link: https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=19300233728916[6]
Report specific content: Use the report button on the offending post, comment, chat, or direct message. Click the three dots and select "Report"
Visit reddit.com/report: This general reporting page allows you to submit various types of reports, including those related to moderator misconduct.
Provide context: When reporting in communities you moderate, you can use the free-form text to provide additional context about the violation.
Remember that false reports or using the report system to "get back" at users can be considered report abuse, which may result in actions against your account.
Always ensure you have clear evidence of a violation before submitting a report.
To Counter:
Little launches a new service that is transparent and legit
Citations
https://gijn.org/stories/is-it-ever-ok-for-journalists-to-lie-to-get-a-story/
https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/want-to-buy-youtube-channel.1533641/
https://www.mattcutts.com/blog/guest-blogging/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1461670X.2021.1979423
[https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/should-i-buy-a-youtube-channel-or-start-from-scratch.1536005/
https://www.mattcutts.com/blog/selling-links-that-pass-pagerank/
https://gijn.org/resource/investigating-digital-threats-disinformation/
https://www.rooter.marketing/blog/timeline-google-seo-algorithm-updates-for-plumbing-seo
https://knightcolumbia.org/content/investigative-deception-across-social-contexts