Chillax. No worries, as altcoins are always manipulated pumps (otherwise they are scorned market failures):
https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/m.15390617
It is not particular criticism of NEM. It is just the way altcoin speculation is. Fundamental developments don't matter as much as price manipulation. Gold fever. Get rich quick.
So it really doesn't matter if Proof-of-Importance is just technobabble obfuscation of Proof-of-stake. Technology isn't really the #1 important factor. Manipulated upward price is.
Giving away stake is a good way of insuring the tokens end up concentrated with a manipulator. Either they are given directly to the manipulator, or those who received them free then dump them and the manipulator buys them for peanuts.
The manipulator was accumulating when NEM was below $1m mcap for 1 year:
http://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/nem/