Darknet markets or websites offering murder-for-hire services often lure users with promises of anonymity and guaranteed results. Yet, every single case has been a scam or a Honeypot. This time it was with the promise to assassinate the upcoming President Donald Trump.
Key Insights
- A darknet website, “Destroy Trump,” tried raising $30,000 in cryptocurrency to fund an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump,
- The alleged claimed they’d collected over $13,000 so far.
- Despite the bold claim, the listed Bitcoin wallet shows no transactions, casting significant doubt on the site’s legitimacy.
- The site’s creator claims to be terminally ill, describing the act as their “final contribution.”
- Cybersecurity analysts and law enforcement consistently warn against such schemes, emphasizing their fraudulent nature and lack of any real-world consequences.
A shocking claim has just come to light from a darknet website called “Destroy Trump,” which promises to raise funds for the assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump. The site very boldly claims to have already collected a whopping $13,245 of its $30,000 goal in cryptocurrency. But let’s be real, this is almost certainly just another scam on the darknet. These kinds of outrageous plans are all way too common on the darknet, touching on all the pain points like political tensions.
Inside the Darknet’s Latest Assassination Scam
The “Destroy Trump” website, which appeared on the darknet just a few weeks ago, is sneakingly presenting itself as a crowdfunding campaign to hire or pay for an assassin. As usual, Darknet Hitman or Darknet Markets that offer murder-for-hire services have always and most likely always will be either a scam or Honeypot.
Its anonymous creator claims to be terminally ill, describing this as their “final act” to do what they think is good for the country. The site lists cryptocurrency wallets for Bitcoin and Monero to rack up a whole lot of donations, but digging into the Bitcoin wallet naturally reveals no actual transactions, raising some very serious questions about whether the site is legit or not.
In their plea, the creator explained his reasons for wanting to go ahead with the assassination:
“Trump is bullshit. Trump is the death of America. I can help. I am terminally ill. I’m going to die soon. I want to do something good for this country and for this world. I want to kill Trump.”
They go on to say they have the “skills,” “connections,” and a very detailed “plan,” but claim they need $30,000 to execute it which raises quite a few eyebrows. If you look into it deeply, the rushed tone and urgent call for donations are classic patterns of scams that are created to manipulate people into giving money without a second thought.
Recycled Schemes: Crowdfunding Murder on the Darknet
This isn’t the first time the darknet has seen these dodgy schemes. In 2014, a controversial site called Assassination Market allowed users to crowdfund bounties on public figures, including then-President Barack Obama and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The site stirred significant debate, but like many similar schemes, it lacked credibility and was ultimately regarded as a scam. While it stirred up a huge amount of controversy, no actual evidence suggests it ever ended up in violence, and experts can clearly see it as a scam.
Conway’s case is a textbook example of how these darknet assassination scams play out. John Conway (a pseudonym) was busted for running a similar scheme, claiming to offer assassination services in exchange for cryptocurrency. The FBI and Secret Service quickly uncovered the truth: it was all smoke and mirrors. Conway had no plans, no means, and absolutely no intention of following through, just a scammer trying to cash in on the anonymity of the darknet.
The “Destroy Trump” website seems to be pulling straight from the scammer’s playbook. Like so many schemes before it, the site leans heavily on the huge political outrage and the benefit of having anonymity on their side, to try and lure in donors, like bait on a hook. It’s the same old tricks: no transparency, wild claims you can’t actually verify, and a big reliance on untraceable cryptocurrency to make it all seem legit. Classic darknet scam.
The Darknet’s Dirty Playbook Exposed
Conway’s case is just one of many scams that were found on the darknet. These fraudsters have a knack for spinning these crazy schemes, preying on desperate or gullible individuals. The idea? Users could put cryptocurrency bounties on public figures and supposedly pay out anyone who carried out the act. But just like always, unsurprisingly, it was all smoke and mirrors, designed to cash in on fear and outrage.
Even social media isn’t immune to this bizarre trend. A tweet by Roger Ver touched on the so-called “efficiency” of assassination bounties funded by crypto. It’s a chilling echo of the scams we see time and time again, where bold claims and political tension are actually weaponized for personal gain. The darknet might try to sell itself as a marketplace for anything, but in many cases as such, it’s just a stage for cons like these.
Why the Destroy Trump Site is Almost Certainly a Scam
Some might call it a bold statement, but the “Destroy Trump” site is almost certainly a scam.
No Evidence of Funds: Apart from all the claims of raising $13,245, the Bitcoin wallet listed on the site shows no transactions at all.
Same Old Scam Tactics: The site mirrors the same old playbook used by countless darknet scams, bold promises, unverifiable claims, and a setup designed to exploit unsuspecting donors.
These schemes are becoming boring and are nothing new, they recycle tactics from infamous operations like the “Assassination Market,” grabbing attention with these weird and wonderful claims while staying firmly rooted in fraud. Thankfully, these plots rarely lead to any real-world violence, but they do serve as a reminder of just how many scams thrive under what they think is the safe cover of the darknet. Law enforcement continues to keep an eye on these shady activities, and the public is constantly reminded to stay sharp and not fall for such obvious traps.