Yeah Heard about it. By the way, a lot of projects are hyping on PEPE's similarities, not all are worth it ( & of course not all are fake/scam as well )
This is a phenomena though, there will be a lot of copy cat of successful projects. They will just spin the name around close or similar to the original. However, it won't be as successful as the prime mover. And as you have said, most of them are scam and fake and just trying to lure investors and then do a rug pull.
Best to do your own research if your friend is credible enough.
Persinally, It is hyping on google for quite a time & got my attention as well.
Here's a list if you wanna read more -
https://topcryptopresale.com/best-altcoins/ Haven't heard of what you shill, but to each it's own.
Plus, It is also listed on major exchanges ( seems like a serious thing, ain't it ), Again another advice is not to jump in with a lot of budget.
Always consider the risk factors.
It might be a good thing, but still it's not the only factor for the success of the project. Some of them might be listed to top tier exchange, but if they don't have the community or there are no "cult" following (which is common to meme coins), the project might die itself.
Still the best way is to be cautious and not to jump on every hype, we still need to mitigate the risk and DYOR.