It recently came to my attention that my work was used to scam an entire community of Web3 enthusiasts, people who believed they were investing in a project aimed at helping save the world. For those who know me, you know I’ve always considered myself a responsible steward of the internet. My efforts have consistently focused on raising awareness about the risks of emerging technologies, including through my involvement with XRSI.
I typically avoid disclosing whether I’ve invested in Web3 projects, as I’m aware that my support could influence others to follow suit. If a project later turns out to be a scam or rug pull, I don’t want to be responsible for unintentionally encouraging anyone to invest. I rarely express belief in a project unless I’m directly involved, and when I am, I’m transparent about my role.
In late 2021, someone I considered both a friend and a mentor reached out to ask if I knew anything about cryptocurrency, NFTs, and their potential use in building a carbon credit ecosystem. Within a few days, I drafted a white paper titled Tree Token. I shared it in good faith, believing it was either a theoretical exercise or, if implemented, a model that could fund global reforestation efforts and support the coin’s long-term value.
A few months later, he contacted me again and asked for my wallet address. I was unaware that he had moved forward with the project, so I was surprised when 100,000 tokens were deposited into my wallet as a thank-you for the white paper. Wanting to support a friend’s vision, I also purchased additional tokens using my own money about a week later. I built the project’s front facing website (but none of the infrastructure for the coin) as well, and at his request, included my image, since my work had served as the foundation for the initiative.
Months passed before I followed up for an update. He told me that token sales had been temporarily frozen until after the friends and family round. I accepted this explanation, assuming it was not a public raise. That was the last time I asked for further details.
Recently, someone close to him reached out to share concerns about his financial activities. They claimed he had raised around $2 million from individuals who had purchased the token. I checked the project on Etherscan and found it was worth only a few dollars, though the tokens were spread across approximately 90 wallets. Given the amount I personally invested, I have strong reason to believe the claims are accurate.
No one who builds with integrity and the hope of creating meaningful impact ever wants to discover that their work has been misused to cause harm. This project has not had my attention in recent years, and I can't help but feel that if it had, some of these losses might have been avoided. My heart goes out to everyone who believed in the vision I helped create, only to be misled by those who used it for their own gain.
If you invested in Fresh Air Coin (FAC), please reach out to me. I’m currently compiling a list of individuals who were defrauded by this project.
