Pokimane $500K Auction Full of Trolls
There is now some drama over possibly shady behavior in a bidding war for a game session with Imane "Pokimane" Anys.
YouTuber Connor "CDawgVA" Franta announced a charity auction with benefits going towards the Immune Deficiency Foundation, inspired by a friend going through this struggle. Some of the auction items went out early to build some hype around the live event, including the chance to game with popular influencer Pokimane.
The streaming community was shocked when the bids skyrocketed to $500,000 and beyond, reaching the cap in just over an hour. But now, Connor has shared some concerning updates on the bidding war between the likes of FaZe Lucy, Duke Dennis, and Mark Cuban.
Were the Bids on the Pokimane Auction Fake?
In a recent YouTube video, Connor claimed that some of the bids that helped the Pokimane auction item reach $500,000 were not legitimate.
Connor said he's had his mind blown by the crazy high bids and thanked all of the actual bidders involved. But to the fakers, Connor said they are "cringe" and said: "There's nothing sadder you can fake in life than donating to charity. [...] That's so sad."
Now, the bids are being slowly removed and banned from the auction. But what Connor and his team found out is that the scammers used fake or stolen credit cards and fake emails to make the bids. By auction day, Connor told fans that only "real" bids should go through since more measures will be taken to ensure scammers can't commit fraud through the charity auction.
So was FaZe Lucy really bidding? Connor laughed and said that FaZe was likely not bidding. Some of the previous bids by FaZe Lucy were real but the ones for large amounts later on may have been imposters. Others were simply using "racist names" to make bids. All of the accounts are being removed ahead of the event.
"At least there are more eyes on the show, which is great," CDwagVA added. "It's good we can have some people talking about it."
Is the $500K bid actually real then? Connor said he "wished" it was. So apparently the Pokimane bid is not actually at that amount. This means that might still have a chance to share an "unforgettable moment" with Pokimane for a more doable amount. It's probable the auction will still be pretty pricey though.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!