Telegram mini-app TON Turbo allegedly an exit scam

After many users expressed concerns about withdrawals, a Telegram mini-app called TON Turbo has started cleaning up its digital footprint.

TON Turbo, a project built on The Open Network, offers users Toncoin (TON) mining rigs to earn profits by depositing cryptocurrencies via the Telegram chat box. The mining rigs promise almost doubled returns on initial capital with the opportunity to earn TON and the well-known memecoin Shiba Inu (SHIB).

TON Turbo mining CTA | Source: Telegram

However, several avid miners using the platform have reported difficulties withdrawing funds, with replies on the project’s Telegram channel suggesting that the deposit mechanism is a one-way corridor.

Additionally, TON is a proof-of-stake blockchain where validators are the primary network contributors. Mining generally refers to proof-of-work networks, such as Bitcoin, that rely on participants called miners to verify transactions and discover new coins.

When users sent crypto to the virtual mining platform, it appeared to make a profit over time, but it was impossible to withdraw the rewards. When users reported the issue, TON Turbo disabled customer support and locked the chat rooms.

Protocol closed replies between July 27 and August 5, but the team continued to post promotional updates on X and Telegram.

TON Turbo locks community chat | Source: Telegram TON Turbo ghosts its customers

TON Turbo claims to have secured several notable partnerships, including The Open Network, Tonkeeper, Telegram mini-game Dogs, and Shiba Inu.

These claims have not been confirmed, and crypto.news has not been able to find any evidence of such partnerships beyond TON Turbo’s announcements. Requests for comment sent to TON Turbo executives went unanswered at press time.

The project has also deleted its page X, which no longer exists when viewed. The Telegram channel has over 54,889 members and at least 10,600 online users. When last reviewed by crypto.news on August 15, responses were mostly filled with angry users who called the project a scam.

TON Turbo page deleted | Source: X

The project’s administrators deleted their Telegram accounts, and the private social network labeled updates on TON Turbo’s channel as “scams.”

Social media and the project’s Telegram channel have signaled that hundreds to thousands of investors have attempted to use the alleged Telegram mining rig. It is not known how many users have suffered losses, and it is not yet known how much has been lost in this apparent exit scam.

Telegram labels TON Turbo channel as a scam | Source: Telegram