No doubt that's not specific to your local board--using alt accounts to evade bans and to cheat sig campaigns/bounties has been widespread for years and that problem comes from all corners of the globe.
It was your pop up notification that made me to see the thread if not I wasn't aware of it. And when I saw the thread and the unknown user's DM in the telegram chat, I just also thought of it that before someone search for his telegram username and dm him, it must be a user from his Local Board which knew his telegram username. And the person didn't use his real account for this rubbish.
Giving out merits is by choice and not by under any obligation.