The trader known as ICT, Michael J. Huddleston, has a simple message that he has repeated on X for more than three years: he says he sells nothing, so anyone asking you for money in his name is not him. Between July 2023 and September 2026 he posted that warning, or a close cousin of it, at least six times.

That makes his posts a free checklist for a very common situation. A DM arrives, or a "private ICT group" appears in your feed, and you wonder if it is real. This guide turns his own statements into questions you can ask. It names no fake account and makes no claim about any person. It only repeats what he has said, with dates, so you can read each post yourself.

Quick timeline

Date What he posted Where it is recorded
5 June 2023 Says he teaches with a demo account and has never represented a broker His X post of that date
4 July 2023 Says he takes no money in any form, and that anyone claiming to be him and asking for money, a mentorship place, signals or account management is not him His X post of that date
2 October 2024 Says he is not on Facebook, Instagram or Discord, and that someone is selling mentorships for 1,000 and 2,000 (currency not stated) in his name His X post of that date
23 November 2024 Explains how a track record on a public stats site can be faked through a broker the seller controls His X post of that date
24 March 2025 Says he sells nothing, tells people not to pay anyone using his name or his real name, and lists two email addresses as his only ones His X post of that date
24 March 2025 Asks followers whether they are in a Telegram, Discord or Facebook group "supposedly run" by him His X post of that date
25 March 2025 Calls a Telegram channel fake and says he never does trade management or auto-trading His X post of that date
14 October 2025 Posts what he says is the official link to his free Telegram channel His X post of that date
15 September 2026 Says he has no connection to an account that people were asking him about His X post of that date

What has he said about money?

Three posts cover it. On 4 July 2023 he wrote that he does not charge money in any form. The post lists the usual hooks of a fake: a mentorship invitation, trading signals, account management. It collected about 18,000 likes and more than 10 million views.

On 24 March 2025 he went further. He said that if he wanted to sell something he could do it openly, that he is not selling anything, and that people should not pay anyone claiming to be ICT or Michael Huddleston. He then gave two email addresses and said that any other address that contacted or solicited you was a scam. One of the two sits on the same web domain as his website, theinnercircletrader.com, which is a useful clue in itself.

On 2 October 2024 he put numbers on it. He said someone was selling a mentorship in his name for 1,000 or 2,000, and that he is not selling mentorships, signals or private group access.

These posts describe how he says he works now, through free videos. They are dated statements, so read the newest one, not an old screenshot.

Which places does he say are his?

This is the part that changes over time, so read the newest post, not an old screenshot.

  • X. The account @I_Am_The_ICT, which has about 845,000 followers and lists his website. He says in the 2024 post that he is not on Facebook, Instagram or Discord. Compare a handle letter by letter. Copycat names that drop a word or swap one letter are the oldest trick there is.
  • YouTube. His website's front page links to a free YouTube library and a free study library. It lists YouTube as its only official account.
  • Telegram. Here the story has two steps. In March 2025 he asked followers if they were in a Telegram channel supposedly run by him, and he called one channel fake. In October 2025 he posted an official link to a free channel. He says there that it never offers investments, signals, account management or secret mentorships, that he does not spam or chat in it, and that he never DMs anyone. If a channel with his name asks for money, he says, it is a fake.

We did not find the Telegram link on the website's front page, so the October 2025 post is the place to get it. Do not take it from a message, even a friendly one.

Other accounts on X claim that a private channel for former students exists. That does not fit his own October 2025 words about secret or private mentorships. Those claims come from third-party accounts and are unverified.

How can you check a track record?

A fake mentor usually shows results. On 23 November 2024 he explained one way those results can be staged. According to him, a seller can link a stats page to a white-label broker (a reseller of someone else's trading service) that the seller controls, and then place fake trades after the market has moved. He points to a live broker login and full broker statements as better evidence.

This is his view, and we could not test it myself. The short version for any track record is to ask for the statement from the broker itself. Check that the account number and dates match. Be wary of any screenshot that cannot be tied to a live account.

What should you do if you paid someone using his name?

His posts do not cover this, so here is general advice from consumer regulators.

  • The US FTC says to contact the real organisation using details you already know are genuine, not the ones in the message, and to report imposter scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Its page is about imposters in general, not about trading teachers.
  • Tell your bank or card provider fast, and keep the receipt.
  • Screenshot the profile, the chat and the payment page, with the date and the web address visible.
  • Report the account to the platform where you found it, and to your national regulator.

What the other side says

There is no named "other side" here. Huddleston names no accounts and posts no list of fakes. The people behind the fake accounts are unknown, and nobody in this post is accused of anything by name. His website, as we read it on 30 October 2026, does not mention scams or impostors. We found his warnings only on X.

What traders can take from it

  • Money is the test. By his own repeated statement, anyone charging for ICT, or for access to him, is not him. That includes signals and managed accounts.
  • Check the newest post, not the oldest. The Telegram situation changed between March and October 2025.
  • Ask for evidence that can be tied to a broker account. Then ask for a date range you pick yourself.
  • Do not use a follower count or a badge as a verdict. They show popularity, not identity.
  • Keep your own record. A trading journal built from your own broker data shows what you traded and what it paid, which is the answer no mentor's screenshot can give you. If you want to know what the man himself has said lately, the other side of the name story is in what he posted on 11 May 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How can I tell if an ICT account or mentor is real?

Start with his own statements. He says he charges no money in any form, sells no signals, does not manage accounts and does not DM people. An account that breaks any of those rules is not following his description of himself. Then compare the handle letter by letter with @I_Am_The_ICT.

Does ICT charge for a mentorship?

In his posts of 2023 to 2025 he says he does not charge money. His website points to free YouTube lessons. Those are dated statements, so check the newest post.

Is there an official ICT Telegram or Discord?

He said in October 2024 that he is not on Discord. In October 2025 he posted what he called the official link to a free Telegram channel. Read that post for the link and do not follow one from a DM.

What should I do if I already paid someone claiming to be ICT?

Contact your bank or card provider straight away and keep every receipt and screenshot. Report the account to the platform and to your national fraud service, for example ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US.

Can I trust a trading track record I find online?

Not on its own. He says a stats page can be staged through a broker the seller controls. Ask for statements from the broker itself, tied to an account number and dates.

Sources

This post is based on public sources as of October 30, 2026. Found a mistake? Write to info@setupbook.io.