TMZ-styled fake 'Walmart worker' story on tmz.one steers readers to a Telegram trading-signals channel
MalwareTips warns in a post dated October 23, 2026 that a promotion for 'Tyler's Telegram Channel' uses a supposed news story about a Walmart worker named Kevin, who allegedly got $275,000 (or…
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Source: malwaretips.com · published
What happened
MalwareTips warns in a post dated October 23, 2026 that a promotion for 'Tyler's Telegram Channel' uses a supposed news story about a Walmart worker named Kevin, who allegedly got $275,000 (or $300,000 in the linked article) and was arrested, to introduce a trading-signals channel on Telegram. MalwareTips says the campaign route identified as tmz.one is not TMZ's news domain, tmz.com, and that TMZ-style branding is used to make the sales story look reported. It says the windfall is an advertising claim, not a verified financial record, and that a Telegram invitation is not a licence to provide investment services. MalwareTips did not test any payment or withdrawal. It advises not to fund a trading account through this promotion, not to install remote-control apps for a stranger, and to report the ad and channel to the platforms. MalwareTips cautions that similar-sounding names do not establish that unrelated people or businesses are involved; the channel's operators are not identified.
How the scam works
The promotion follows a familiar pattern: a sensational 'news' story about an ordinary worker who suddenly made a fortune, styled to look like a well-known outlet, followed by a link to a group that sells trading 'signals'. MalwareTips says that anyone can copy a masthead, invent an interview and place a messaging link beneath it, so a polished page proves nothing. The figures in the story change between the advert and the article, which is another sign that they are sales claims.
Once inside a signals channel, people are typically encouraged to open an account on a recommended platform, deposit funds, and sometimes install remote-control apps so that someone can 'help' with the account. MalwareTips did not test payments or withdrawals, so particular withdrawal blocks or fee demands would need to be documented case by case. TMZ and Walmart are impersonated and are not involved. The illustration in MalwareTips' post is a generated example, not a screenshot.
Source
MalwareTips, "Tyler’s Telegram Channel Scam Exposed: The Fake Walmart Windfall Story" (published 23 October 2026).
Red flags
- A celebrity-news-style story about a worker who suddenly made a huge sum, ending in a Telegram link.
- A site such as tmz.one that isn't the outlet's real domain (tmz.com).
- Amounts that change between the advert and the article.
- Trading signals or 'mentoring' offered by someone who isn't authorised to give investment advice.
- Requests to install remote-access apps or fund an account on a recommended platform.
If you were targeted
- 1Don't join the channel or fund a trading account through this promotion.
- 2Check whether anyone offering investment advice is authorised by your financial regulator (in the U.S., FINRA BrokerCheck or the SEC's adviser search).
- 3Never install remote-control apps for a stranger.
- 4If you paid, contact your bank or payment provider and keep screenshots of the chat.
- 5Report the ad and the Telegram channel to the platforms, and in the U.S. to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.