I Fell for a $1.25 Million Scam - Now MrBeast Is Helping Me Hunt Down the Scammers | Entrepreneur

"This is hard to admit, but I got scammed out of $1.25 million. The money is gone, and I can't get it back. But instead of hiding, I've decided to share my story. My recent post on X about the $1.25 million scam went viral with more than 4 million views and thousands of reposts and comments. MrBeast even chimed in that he would give a $100,000 reward to anyone who could help track down the scammers."

"A few years ago, I donated $1.2 million to MrBeast's #TeamSeas campaign to help clean up the oceans. After the donation, I was invited to spend a few days with Jimmy (MrBeast) and his team. So, when they reached out to me again for a donation to MrBeast's Team Water campaign, I naturally wanted to help. During the discussion, we even talked about planning another meet-up. A few weeks after I donated $1 million to the project, I was added to what looked like a private group text with other major donors; it didn't feel out of place at all. In fact, it seemed like the natural next step."

"The group looked legitimate. The names were impressive: Mark Rober, Shopify's Tobi Lütke, Stake's Ed Craven, Adin Ross. There was banter, casual voice notes and even more talk about the donor trip. It all lined up with what I'd been expecting - and I felt like I was in the "cool crowd." Then came the pitch: a crypto investment tied to a major exchange. Everyone in the group "joined." I didn't want to be the outsider. So I wired the money. $1.25 million. Later, I checked in with the real Jimmy and felt my stomach drop. The group text was fake. My money was gone."

A donor lost $1.25 million after joining a convincing fake group text that impersonated well-known figures and promoted a crypto investment tied to a major exchange. Prior charitable donations and an earlier in-person meeting had built trust that the scammers exploited. The group included plausible names, casual banter and plans for a donor trip, which reduced suspicion. The donor wired funds while away at a retreat and later discovered the group was fake after checking with the real public figure, leaving the funds unrecoverable.

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