After a confusing stream on Twitch, viewers are concerned about the content creator “Shelbo”. He apparently believes he is in a relationship with the well-known streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys. There might be a nasty scam behind this.
What kind of streamer is this?
- “Shelbo” is a relatively small content creator. His most popular videos on YouTube are about tablets and monitors, and on Twitch, he showcased Overwatch and Valorant.
- In 2024, Shelbo participated in the talent show “OTK’s Top Streamer” by the gaming organization One True King.
- However, for several months now, his content has been taking a increasingly concerning direction. The streamer seems to have imagined a relationship with Imane “Pokimane” Anys. He appears to have fallen for a scam.
Pokimane has long been regarded as the “Queen” of Twitch. In the German scene, there are also some big female streamers:
Streamer apparently falls for AI scam
What is the situation? Shelbo seems to have been fixated on the Twitch streamer Pokimane since December 2024. He claims to have a relationship with the streamer and posts about rings he wants to buy for her. However, a larger audience became aware of the situation through a post on r/LivestreamFail, the largest streaming community on Reddit.
In a thread with more than 5,800 upvotes, a livestream by Shelbo was shared on the evening of February 26, 2025. In the clip, the streamer claims to have been in contact with Pokimane for several months. The streamer claims she contacted him from a personal account and asked him for $70, about 66 euros.
Since then, he has been giving her money regularly in exchange for being able to talk to her. Overall, he is said to have already given her about 5,200 euros. Additionally, he flew to California for about 470 euros to visit the streamer.
There, he claims to have lived on the street for about two weeks before finding shelter.
The streamer also mentions several hospital stays. In a video on YouTube, he claims, however, that the doctors are witches, and God is helping him.
Viewers are concerned about the streamer
How is this being discussed? On Reddit, viewers are expressing their concern. They believe that this is not a stunt to gain attention, but that Shelbo needs professional help.
Users believe that Shelbo has fallen for a so-called catfish. On X, formerly Twitter, an account is apparently impersonating Pokimane using an AI video. Posts claim it is a private account of the streamer, through which she communicates with her “top fans”.
The Twitch streamer roflgator comments under the post that he tried to help Shelbo and talk to him. But he did not want to listen and unfollowed him on X (via Reddit).
This case is reminiscent of the story of a French woman from January 2025 who thought, she was engaged to Brad Pitt.
In fact, female streamers often struggle with viewers forming parasocial, or one-sided, relationships with them. This can also become a security risk. Twitch streamer Pokimane spends more than $10,000 each month to feel safe
