Crypto Bros Are Turning Immigration Surveillance Into a Meme Coin Scam

Photo by Metin Ozer on Unsplash
Ever wondered what happens when tech bros, right-wing influencers, and cryptocurrency collide? Buckle up for a wild ride into ICERAID, the most bizarre digital vigilante platform you never asked for.
Imagine a world where reporting “suspicious” immigrants could potentially earn you some digital cash. That’s the pitch from ICERAID, a sketchy cryptocurrency project masquerading as a citizen reporting platform. Founded by Jason Meyers, a guy with a fascinating financial history that includes being permanently banned from broker-dealer activities, this app claims to reward users for uploading photos of alleged “criminal” activities.
The Crypto Vigilante Fever Dream
The app’s ambitious goals include crowdsourcing law enforcement intelligence through blockchain technology. But here’s the kicker: it’s essentially a thinly veiled meme coin promotion with zero actual impact. Despite claims of “hundreds” of tips, their incident tracker shows a pathetic six entries, most of which are random memes or pictures of public figures.
Right-Wing Influencer Endorsement
Notable right-wing personalities like Laura Loomer and Matt Gaetz have been shilling this project, suggesting users could earn more by reporting immigrants than driving for Uber. The platform’s wildly vague “sponsorship program” for undocumented immigrants promises mysterious “legal status” rewards - a promise as empty as their cryptocurrency’s current value.
The Financial Fraud Undertones
With a token currently valued at a whopping $0.002 and only 82 holders, ICERAID seems more like a pump-and-dump scheme than a serious technological innovation. Meyers’ previous financial misdeeds, including allegedly misappropriating $700,000 from investors, only add more suspicion to this digital dumpster fire.
In the end, ICERAID represents a disturbing intersection of xenophobic rhetoric, cryptocurrency speculation, and tech bro opportunism - proving once again that the internet can turn almost anything into a potential grift.
AUTHOR: mei
SOURCE: The Verge