Ben Armstrong, better known by his YouTube handle Bitboy, has filed a lawsuit against fellow influencer Erling Mengshoel (aka Atozy) who accused Armstrong of scamming his audience.
According to the lawsuit Mengshoel not only defamed Armstrong, but interfered with his business practices and ultimately left him in a state of emotional distress. The catalyst for all of this emotional turmoil was a video Mengshoel made in which he repeatedly called Armstrong a “dirtbag.”
Investment advice
Before addressing the substance of the claim the suit first explains who Ben Armstrong aka Bitboy is and what he does. According to the lawsuit Armstrong is, “an industry-leading source of reliable commentary with respect to investments in cryptocurrency.” It further states that his “expert analysis and advice” is useful to consumers considering which cryptocurrencies they should invest in.
Having established Armstrong’s credentials the lawsuit explains that Atozy specifically called these into question as well as Armstrong’s “honesty, credibility, and reliability,” and further called him a “dirtbag,” a “shady dirtbag,” and even a “dirtbag YouTuber.”
The result of these accusations was to undermine Armstrong’s status as an expert cryptocurrency investment advisor. Specifically, Atozy examined Armstrong’s promotion of “Pamp” token and concluded that Pamp was a scam. Atozy detailed the case in a Nov, 9. 2021 video titled, “This Youtuber Scams His Fans… Bitboy Crypto.”
Now Armstrong says he is dealing with significant professional and emotional fallout due to the accusations.
“As a result of Defendant’s outrageous statements, Armstrong now suffers from severe anxiety that he will be perceived as a felon, a fraud, and untrustworthy in business or in general,” states the legal filing. “Armstrong now has recurring bouts of depression about whether Defendant’s defamatory statements will harm Armstrong financially and socially and whether he will be able to recover his good reputation and business as a result. Contemplating the loss of his livelihood and his good standing in society has left Armstrong in a fragile emotional state with virtually no confidence that things will be better in the future.”
Ultimately Armstrong is claiming damages of over $75,000 as a result of Atozy’s claims.
Big business
The promotion of cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and other blockchain-related projects is big business. According to a price list purported to be from Ben Armstrong, the influencer charges $35,000 for a “dedicated review.” A Livestream mention is $20,000 while a YouTube interview is $40,000.
For Be[In]Crypto’s latest Bitcoin (BTC) analysis, click here.
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