X sues two Bitcoin influencers over bot network that stole creator payouts

X has filed a lawsuit in London's High Court against two individuals, Vivek Kumar Sen and Zamyang Sherpa, alleging they operated a coordinated bot network that siphoned at least £207,384 (approximately $278,000) from X’s Creator Revenue Sharing program.

Alleged scheme

The complaint says the defendants managed six primary accounts and at least three booster accounts that posted near‑identical Bitcoin‑related content within seconds of each other. The posts were designed to generate artificial engagement—likes, replies, and reposts—to meet the program’s payout thresholds.

How the payouts worked

Creator Revenue Sharing paid a share of ad revenue to accounts that met three criteria: an X Premium subscription, five million impressions over three months, and at least 500 verified followers. Payments were made via linked Stripe accounts.

Irregularities identified

According to the filing, the Stripe profiles used for payouts listed names that did not match the account owners. One Stripe profile was registered to “Stefan Mann,” while the associated bank details traced back to Sen. Both defendants are said to reside in Preston, England, despite the accounts appearing distinct.

Platform response

X suspended all nine accounts on August 18 and shut down the Creator Revenue Sharing program on September 7, replacing it with an Original Content Rewards system that excludes “artificially generated” engagement. The company’s General Counsel, James Burnham, confirmed the lawsuit and emphasized X’s zero‑tolerance policy for fraudulent behavior.

Legal claims and relief sought

The lawsuit alleges deceit, unjust enrichment, and unlawful‑means conspiracy, and seeks the return of the $278,000, plus damages, interest, legal costs, and reimbursement for at least £75,000 spent on the investigation. No defense had been filed as of the latest update.