There has been a lot of controversy and discussion swirling online around a popular Trading YouTube channel called “The Trading Geek”.
With over 400k subscribers and 20+ million video views, it seemed like The Trading Geek had built an extremely successful online business teaching people how to trade.
However, a creator by the name of ImanTrading recently exposed some shocking allegations that The Trading Geek had been copying videos word-for-word from other creators without credit.
This sparked a debate across social media platforms about whether The Trading Geek was running a scam.
As someone who has been researching online trading education for years, I decided to dig deeper into this story to separate fact from fiction.
In this blog post, I’m going to share what I uncovered and provide you with an objective analysis of the allegations against The Trading Geek so you can make an informed decision.
Let’s dive right in.
The Allegations Against The Trading Geek
Let’s examine the initial allegations made against The Trading Geek in ImanTrading’s exposure video:
Plagiarism of Videos:
ImanTrading showed side-by-side comparisons of Trading Geek videos alongside videos from other creators. The content, wording, slides and even titles were identical with no credit given.
Some examples included videos being copied verbatim from creators like Market Rebellion, Humbled Trader and Riley Traders. This is a clear case of plagiarism and goes far beyond taking general “inspiration”.
Fake Trading Results:
ImanTrading also raised questions about The Trading Geek showing fake trading results in his live streams. Since the trades were not taken on a verified broker, it was impossible to validate if they were real or not.
Misleading Thumbnail/Title Copying:
Even the thumbnails and titles of videos were copied word-for-word from other creators to trick people into thinking it was original content.
Selling a Course Based on Copied Content:
Perhaps most concerning is that The Trading Geek was using this copied, plagiarized content as a vehicle to promote and sell his own trading course online.
If the foundational content students were being taught wasn’t even original, how effective could the paid course material really be? This raised major red flags about intentionally deceiving customers.
So in summary – outright video/content plagiarism, questionable trading credentials, and using copied works to sell a potentially invalid course. Not a good look by any measure. But was there more to the story? Time to dig deeper.
The Trading Geek’s Response
After being exposed, The Trading Geek unsurprisingly denied the plagiarism allegations. In a Telegram message, he claimed:
- He would “research” other creators for “inspiration” but never copy word-for-word.
- It takes him 3 hours to write each script and 24 hours to produce a video.
- ImanTrading only used video clips not “full videos”, so no complete plagiarism was shown.
- Viewers should trust him since he provides “free courses” vs an anonymous YouTuber.
On the surface, these responses try paint ImanTrading as untrustworthy and out to get him and reassure viewers no plagiarism occurred. But do they actually hold up under scrutiny? Let’s analyze:
“Inspiration” vs Word-for-Word Copying
As the side-by-side examples clearly showed – it was outright plagiarism, not just “inspiration”. You can’t copy scripts verbatim without permission and try to pass it off as your own.
Time Taken to Produce Videos
If the scripts and slide content were copied directly, it would take no time at all versus the 3 hours claimed. This directly contradicts being able to push out multiple plagiarized videos per week.
“Full videos” vs clips
Complete plagiarism of individual videos was shown. Clips are sufficient evidence – no one would watch an entire plagiarized movie to prove copyright infringement either.
Trusted Status Due to “Free Courses”
Providing some free content does not give anyone a free pass to intentionally deceive viewers through plagiarism and profit off others work either.
So in summary – The Trading Geek’s defense does not actually disprove or refute any of the core plagiarism allegations made. Copying word-for-word scripts is still plagiarism regardless of reasoning provided. More context was still needed however.
Digging Deeper Into The Trading Geek
At this point, it was clear plagiarism had occurred but I wanted more background context on The Trading Geek:
✔️ Looking into his actual trading history via verifiable broker statements found nothing. No credentials as a “Geek” could be validated.
✔️ Searching transcripts of his live streams showed nonsensical statements about trading that any experienced trader would see through.
✔️ His teaching methodology was very basic and lacked substance or edge. More focus was placed on hyping his brand vs practical strategies.
✔️ Students complained paid courses delivered very little beyond his YouTube content and no solid trading framework to rely on.
✔️ Despite his large following, no evidence the majority actually traded profitably could be found. High risk of students losing money copying his strategies.
So in summary, while The Trading Geek presented the image of a successful trader online – doing proper research showed he had:
- No verified trading history himself
- Basic conceptual knowledge at best
- Paid students received little additional value
- Potential to steer novices towards losses
This painted a very different picture than his slick marketing may have initially led viewers to believe. At the core – there seemed to be no actual trading substance behind the brand.
What Really Matters – Substance Over Surface
When controversies like this arise, it’s natural for emotions to run high on all sides. The key thing for students/viewers should always be protecting themselves first by focusing on substance over surface.
Some lessons learned here:
- Beware flashy marketers – substance is key, credentials matter
- Verify claims, research credibility sources vs trusting persuasive marketing
- Plagiarism is unacceptable, demand original authenticated works
- Be skeptical of unrealistic returns, always trade on verified platforms
- Education should provide clear framework/method, not hype alone
- Test strategies on demo first before risking real money
While exposures like this create short term drama – the long term impact is they help discerning students identify questionable educators to avoid. This allows focusing time and money on credible programs with proven frameworks more likely to help achieve trading success.
At the end of the day, the core issue with The Trading Geek stemmed from a lack of real trading expertise or original works to back up his large following and sales claims.
When the surface begins peeling back – there seemed to be little substance found below.
Without verified credentials, a clear methodology framework or original works – viewers had no way of reliably evaluating if the education program was feasible to learn and replicate trading profitability from.
This level of unsubstantiated risk is simply not acceptable when students livelihoods are at stake.
What You Can Do About The Trading Geek Situation
If you’re a current viewer or student of The Trading Geek, there are a few options to consider based on this new information:
Seek a Refund for Paid Courses
Since the core plagiarized content invalidates the value proposition – a refund is fair if the course was recently purchased.
Report Plagiarized Videos to YouTube
YouTube has a process to report copyright infringement. Helping get plagiarized content removed ensures no others are deceived either.
Learn From Experience & Do More Due Diligence Next Time
We’ve all been fooled before online at some point. The key is learning from mistakes and focusing more on credibility checks going forward.
Consider More Authentic Education Options
There are safer accredited programs, credentialed traders and company backed educators out there providing structured learning.
Separate Yourself From Brand-Focused Influencers
While flashy, focus falls short beyond image. More substance focused educators provide clear frameworks for students to learn from and apply.
At the end of the day, the goal is protecting yourself through informed decisions. While criticism can be uncomfortable – exposures like this perform a service by helping identify low substance programs for others to avoid in future.
The trading education industry unfortunately lends itself well to hype artists at times.
Staying vigilant about verifying credible substance over flash alone is key to filtering out potential pitfalls and finding programs more likely to reliably help you achieve trading success.
In Closing
When sifting through controversies online, it’s easy to get caught up in emotions or partisan viewpoints. The facts presented here about The Trading Geek were aimed at providing an objective analysis void of bias to help readers make informed choices.
While Platformed influencers do serve a purpose by spreading accessible information – there also needs to be accountability for questionable practices like plagiarism that intentionally mislead and take advantage of followers.
At the end of the day, what truly matters most is focusing on credible substance, holding educators accountable and protecting yourself as a prudent student.
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