Starlink imposter website: sells fake dishes for $249, pay in Bitcoin

SpaceX's ambitious Starlink internet service is accepting pre-orders right now, with users in beta testing right now -- users in Iran are getting duped by a fake Starlink website.

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A fake Starlink website has been set up and is accepting pre-orders for internet service, taking payments of $249 and accepting Bitcoin which makes it easier for whoever, or the team that set up the website -- to hide the money that they've taken.

The website isn't far off the official Starlink website, with "www.starlinkiran.com" virtually identical to the official website by SpaceX. There's the same background images, translated text in Persian, and for the most part people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the two sites.

• Read more: Elon Musk says Starlink will offer internet globally by August
• Read more: Starlink bursts through huge 560Mbps download speeds in Germany
• Read more: Starlink internet connection hits 300Mbps, even while covered in ice

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The fake Starlink website is doing you a favor: offering free shipping for the Starlink hardware, which costs US users $50 for shipment. The hardware costs you $249 while there's a $49 monthly subscription fee, all payable in Bitcoin. Not bad considering Starlink normally requires the satellite terminal -- which costs $499 -- and then a $99 monthly subscription fee.

Even the pro-crypto SpaceX itself doesn't accept Bitcoin payments, but the fake SpaceX website accepts Bitcoin. Maybe once Elon Musk hears about this news, of which I'm sure he has, should push SpaceX to accept cryptocurrency as payments at the very least for their Starlink internet service. That's one thing the cyber criminals have done better with their fake Starlink website over the official website.

• Read more: SpaceX's new Starlink internet download speeds breach 200Mbps
• Read more: SpaceX on Starlink internet: we've had 'extraordinary demand'

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