Twitch ‘Paraplegic’ Scams Viewers

A “paraplegic” on Twitch turned out to be scamming viewers for a year.

Twitch is a public webcam site which allows a host to stream real-life and videogame footage to anyone who wants to join in. Anyone can watch as the host does whatever, short of what most people expect from less family-friendly webcam sites. To interact with Twitch hosts, you can sign in with your Twitter account, provided your followers don’t mind being spammed by your interactions with the Twitch host.

The webcam site has been known as a channel through which various people can attempt to make a living offering advice, humor and/or commentary while requesting donations from viewers, allowing them to continue the show. Some YouTube personalities have used the site as a way to raise money for charity, auctioning off items related to their show.

One particular Twitch host faked being a paraplegic, raising over $20,000 as an audience who felt sorry for him gave him money to keep him independent. The show featured Angel Hamilton, whose Twitch alias was ZilianOP, playing and streaming games like World of Warcraft and Diablo III. Little did any of his viewers know that the real show was a lie. In a country where unemployment is unusually high, a gamer with a webcam figured out how to make a living fooling his audience.

The Twitch “paraplegic” used the money to buy all sorts of PC equipment and sometimes fly cross-country to be with his partner-in-crime girlfriend. She was present in his broadcasts, but only as a female voice. Everything seemed legitimate until one day he stood up and walked away while the camera was still rolling. His girlfriend even tried to cover for him by babbling on about taking the dog to the fish store. Needless to say, a lot of Twitch viewers are probably furious and more than likely demanding refunds. Angel Hamilton has now been banned from Twitch.

How do you feel about the Twitch scammer pretending to be paraplegic?