I'd say the word we need here is #Malfeasance - though that has connotations of Govt #misconduct.
Discussion
I used to hold the position that #meme #coins are harmless, no different to the fan exploitation in sports like #football or #F1 but now I'm not so sure, because the indirect impact of these #memes will be the global regulation of #crypto.
I wish #crypto didn't need #regulation, but #dogecoin and it's kind are changing my mind.
memecoins are trick and/or deception in the sense that the people who buy them and hold them think they will get rich with them. When in fact only the founders will. Malfeasance also makes sense but scam is easy for anyone to get: basically it has a negative connotation and is not a good idea to buy and hold
I also think there are real grey areas too. Some #coins like #filecoin and #orchid are theoretically useful. In those cases you need to be able to see that there are better alternatives to blockchain to fulfil those uses.
That's not really a trick in either case because it's quite possible the authors really believe in what they're doing. We have no way to tell.
Other examples like #qrl are actually half persuading me they're necessary, since e probably will need a #quantum resistant ledger at some point and even at worst QRL gives that problem attention.