Scam alert! Lately, I’ve had a bunch of scammers and fake accounts posing as me on social media … I tell ya, these guys are worse than a bunch of vegans.
I love the StocksToTrade and SteadyTrade Team communities. And I would do anything for love … but I won’t invest your money for you. Ever.
I’m a trading mentor — not a money manager. My dedication is to helping emerging traders learn how to think for themselves.
I don’t want to do the work for you or anyone. It’s against my values.
I’m all about helping people realize their full potential and so they can make the most of their lives through trading…
That’s why it makes me so angry and sad to learn that scammers have been pretending to be me to take advantage of people. They’ve been robbing traders of their hard-earned cash while posing as me.
I don’t want this to happen to you or anyone else.
Table of Contents
Will the Real @tbohen Please Stand Up?
The bottom-feeders are mainly finding their prey on Instagram.
For the record…
Instagram Handles
My personal Instagram handle is @tbohen. I do some trading-related content there, including broadcasting the Market 411 every weekday at 4:11 p.m. Eastern on Instagram Live.
I also post from the @stockstotrade account, where you can stay up to date on blog posts, new podcast episodes, my Pre-Market Prep sessions, and much more.
Twitter Handles
Just so we’re clear, my handles on Twitter are exactly the same — @tbohen for personal, and I also post from the @stockstotrade account.
If you’re following me on Twitter or Instagram, these are the accounts where you can find me. I don’t have any other handles or accounts.
So if you’re getting a message from a similar account name that has a number or an underscore in it and isn’t quite the same, beware.
Also, I’ve had my personal accounts on Instagram and Twitter for years. So if you see an account with a name similar to mine that only has like six posts, beware.
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Anatomy of a Scam
In the stock market, patterns are constantly evolving. Even my favorite patterns like the dip and rip change slightly over time.
Scams evolve, too.
The scammers of today aren’t the ‘Nigerian prince’ email schemes of yesteryear. They’ve gotten sophisticated with social media.
These days, scammers create fake accounts that look legit. In my case, they’ll use my name, and lift photos and images from the internet to make it look real.
They’ll claim that they’re me, indicate that they’ve taken a special interest in you, and then try to steal your money.
These scammers are immoral, unethical, and greedy. They deserve every bad thing that comes their way and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
I’m aware of the situation. So is the team at StocksToTrade. We’re doing all that we can to stop them.
Nonetheless, the best defense is a good offense, so I also want you to know the warning signs so you can avoid these scammers.
By knowing what the scam attempt might look like, we can all do our part to stop them.
What To Look For: Warning Signs of a Scam
Scammers are vampires, so they like to work under the cover of darkness. That’s not always literal. It just means that they’re secretive and creepy. They do shady things like sliding into your DMs with too-good-to-be-true offers. Here are some things to watch out for.
Private Chat DMs
I’m a pretty busy guy…
- I run at least two webinars for the SteadyTrade Team every day.
- I’m on Instagram live every day for my premarket session on the @stockstotrade feed and my Market 411 afternoon session at 4:11 p.m. Eastern on my personal account, @tbohen.
- I’m a co-host of the SteadyTrade podcast.
- I have a family and manage rental properties. Currently, I’m building out a maker space. And I hunt, fish, work out, and love to read books…
- And let’s not forget … I’m a trader, too!
That’s all to say that I don’t have a lot of time or energy to get into DMs with people who I don’t know personally. I can barely keep up with my family and friends … And I don’t really DM that much anyway.
I interact with traders primarily through my webinars, live sessions, and the SteadyTrade Team chat room.
So if someone who looks like me is reaching out to you with ‘an amazing investment opportunity’ or to ‘talk about your trading career,’ watch out.
‘An Incredible Opportunity’
I don’t trade forex or options. I’m not a money manager.
No, I don’t mine bitcoin for people. And I don’t have a premarket trading strategy that will make you millions.
I’m a trader, mentor, and the SteadyTrade Team lead trainer. I’m interested in low-priced stocks and even larger-cap stocks.
If someone claiming to be me approaches you and says any of the following, it’s a scam.
‘An Offer Just for You…’
It’s a basic law: the lower the supply, the greater the demand. It plays into stock prices, sure. But it’s also a psychological technique that scammers use to appeal to their marks.
For instance, they might approach you with an offer for tickets to the Trader & Investor Summit. (Sadly it’s been on hold due to the pandemic, but it’ll be back). The Summit always sells out, but these scammers claim to have tickets for ‘a special price.’ Don’t take the bait.
Or they might offer you membership to StocksToTrade for a ‘special introductory rate.’ Nope. This is the ONLY intro offer.
I won’t approach you directly to collect money for STT … or for add-ons like the Breaking News Chat or Oracle Daily Direction Alerts.
There’s a sales team for that … It’s not me. So if a lookalike approaches you with a sales pitch or an offer like this, it’s a huge red flag.
‘Let’s Take This Somewhere Private…’
Again, I’m affiliated with StocksToTrade, the SteadyTrade Team, and the SteadyTrade podcast. My personal accounts on Instagram and Twitter are both under the handle @tbohen.
I won’t contact you on other platforms or ask that we start a private chat.
Scammers love taking you to a dark, secluded alley to do their dirty work. So if someone approaches you saying that they’re me and that we should talk on the phone, on WhatsApp, or do a cash exchange on Venmo, stay away.
Aggressive Tactics
Ever heard of gaslighting? It’s a method of manipulation that people like this use to make you doubt yourself.
For instance, say a scammer offers you a ‘great investment opportunity.’ But maybe your Spidey sense is tingling — it just doesn’t feel right.
In a case like this, if you show hesitation, the scammer might push harder. They might stress the urgency of getting in on this opportunity right now, that you might miss out … They want you to start second-guessing yourself so they can attack.
Aggressive sales tactics like these are a sure-fire sign that something’s fishy.
How to Protect Yourself From Scammers
To review, I will never…
- Slide into your DMs with an ‘opportunity’ just for you
- Ask you for money
- Offer investment advice
- Offer to invest your money for you
Contact My Team
Don’t let these scammers continue. If you suspect you’ve been contacted by a scammer, contact StocksToTrade to report it. Let’s bust these scammers! Learn even more here.
Double-Check Social Media Accounts
Be sure to double-check the names on any social media accounts that might be contacting you. Remember: these are my accounts:
- Instagram: @tbohen is my personal account, and I also post from @stockstotrade.
- Twitter: @tbohen is my personal account, and I also post from the @stockstotrade account.
Oh, by the way, if you don’t follow my personal account on Instagram, please do! Once I reach a certain number of followers I can verify my account, and that will help keep people safe!
Stay Safe!
I’m generally Mr. Positivity … I like to see the best in people and in the world. So I kind of hate the fact that I have to put up a post like this.
But you know what I hate even more? The idea of hard-working traders having to contend with these snakes. I’m dedicated to stopping the scammers and helping traders avoid them. Let’s put the smackdown on these fakes so that we can focus on trading!
Have you been contacted by a scammer? Report it here.