Man scammed by fake bitcoin hitman after curse fails to deter love rival
A jilted German man turned to a bitcoin-for-hire hitman after “online witchcraft” failed to end his would-be lover’s relationship, Berlin authorities claim.
The 28-year-old is said to have spent $24,000 in bitcoin to hire a dark web hitman to kill his love rival. However, the assassin turned out to be nothing more than a front for an online scam and the accused lost all of his bitcoin.
Local outlets report that the man first purchased a number of “witch curses” online in an effort to end the relationship. However, when nothing had changed by February this year, he turned to his less magical Plan B.
Read more: Man pleads guilty to hiring hitman with bitcoin to murder woman who rejected him
Bitcoin hitman was a fraud
On March 7, the accused registered with a website that claimed to mediate contract killings and offered around $9,000 worth of bitcoin to hire a hitman. After some haggling over the price the order was placed and the killing was arranged for March 23.
However, two days before the agreed date, the assassin service informed the defendant that the hitman he’d just ordered had been arrested.
The website’s administrator then said another hitman could do the job but only if the accused raised his bid to $24,000. The defendant agreed and the murder was rescheduled for March 28.
However, no such ‘hit’ took place and by April 3 the annoyed defendant complained to the ‘hitmen’ about their “non-performance of the contract.”
The next day the hitmen revealed the truth about the operation and informed the accused that he had, in fact, been scammed. The website administrator then suggested that the accused himself pose as an online killer for hire and scam unsuspecting victims.
Read more: Jail for scammer who targeted the elderly and laundered funds with crypto
Officials say he took up the suggestion while still on the hunt for another hitman, however, a journalist soon discovered his schemes and passed his details onto German authorities.
He was later arrested on April 9 and charged with attempted incitement to murder by Berlin Regional Court.
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