Since 2016, millions of Trump supporters have been deceived by a scam connected to Donald Trump. They were promised million dollars returns all from a small investment of just $299. All they needed to do, they were told, was trust in President Donald Trump and his campaign.

What began as false promises of wealth has since ended up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars for hopeful individuals, some even lost their life savings trying to withdraw the ‘funds’ that were never real.

In recent months, victims and their families have turned to social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit to share their stories, they described the hardships they faced after investing their life savings in what they believed were Trump-backed products called TRB (Trump Rebate Banking System).

“Last year, my father invested $1,500 into Trump bucks and Trump coins. He also invested money into a “TRB card”. You can find all these scams on proudpatriots.com. After the news of the scam came out, he’s just been in complete denial and thinks these will be will millions when the government crashes.” said a Reddit user.

TRB card and Trump bucks
byu/BreadGod0 inScams

“I am not able to cash out my TRB PRODUCTS I have used people on Telegram that seem to be scamming me. If, I had known that TRB was a scam to get my money I would not have gotten involved. If President Trump should happen to see this post I need help. I purchased over $18,000.00” – stated a user on X (formerly Twitter).

I am not able to cash out my TRB PRODUCTS I have used people on Telegram that seem to be scamming me. If, I had known that TRB was a scam to get my money I would not have gotten involved. If President Trump should happen to see this post I need help. I purchased over $18,000.00

— Theodore Ridenour (@tedridenour69) February 9, 2024

“For any of you who bought Trump coins, TRB bucks, and such alike. It was a scam. A secure source on telegram “SpecialQForces” identifies scammer as Phil Godlewski. And he made millions. Bought luxury homes with it. Just so you know.” stated another user on X (formerly Twitter).

For any of you who bought Trump coins, TRB bucks, and such alike. It was a scam. A secure source on telegram “SpecialQForces” identifies scammer as Phil Godlewski. And he made millions. Bought luxury homes with it. Just so you know.

— Redpill46 (@leand13000) August 18, 2023

Behind this massive scam is a small group of individuals operating from a city called Veles. This town in the Balkans has become famous for devising a very simple scam that has generated a fortune for some by exploiting the loyalty of American Trump supporters. While exact numbers are hard to find, it’s estimated that the profits from this scam are over $100 million.

How It All Started…

The small city in central North Macedonia, with a population of about 50,000, first found out about the potential profit it could make using Donald Trump’s name back in 2015 and 2016. Where a group of young students started publishing fake news stories about Trump and the U.S. elections. Interviews with Veles residents who owned these websites revealed that they were earning about 600 to 1,800 denars for every 1,000 views.

After Donald Trump won the 2016 election, Veles was focused on a completely new money-making opportunity. The so-called TRB (Trump Rebate Banking) System was launched around 2016-2017, presented as an official project backed by Donald Trump and his campaign, marketed as a get-rich-quick opportunity for every American Trump supporter. In reality, the only ones getting rich were the affiliates and vendors of these products.

How It all Ended…

On May 27, 2022, NBC News posted the first of several reports showing that many American patriots who bought this fake products ‘associated’ with Donald Trump from private Telegram channels, tried to exchange them for real money at local banks and stores. But, the most common response they received from bank employees was, “We’ve never heard of anything like this—it’s most likely a scam.”

Some of former President Trump’s most fervent supporters are being swindled into investing thousands in “Trump Bucks” that promise riches once cashed in.

Instead, they’re receiving memorabilia that no bank will cash. https://t.co/DOie6GYkSV — NBC News (@NBCNews) March 2, 2024

Many of these individuals turned to social media, particularly X (formally Twitter), to share their experiences. “If you bought any of the TRB Trump products on Telegram, you have been scammed, they are not legal tender and are not supported by any bank or convenience store.” This was just one of many posts from people who had been tricked into buying these fake products. As other major news websites such as Forbes, The New York Times, and Fox News covered the story, websites like Digistore24 and ClickBank, where the TRB products were listed, removed all products connected to Donald Trump and the TRB system from their platforms.

Both Digistore24 and ClickBank now prohibit these items and don’t allow accounts with Macedonian addresses from registering on their platform. However, this hasn’t completely stopped the Veles scammers, many have continued to use these platforms through the addresses of friends and relatives in EU countries.

ClickBank, a website that allowed Macedonian sellers to sell TRB and Trump products

Digistore24, another website that allowed Macedonian sellers to sell TRB and Trump products.

The total revenue generated during this period is unknown, but it is estimated to be in the millions of dollars. Products sold during this time include:

Trump System Card | Vendor ID: Mendeg

Trump Care Card | Vendor ID: patriotsgoldenmember

Trump Stock Checks | Vendor ID: patriotsgoldenmember

TBR Certificate | Vendor ID: patriotsgoldenmember

Golden TRB Voucher | Vendor ID: Trbgolden

Certified Patriot Trump Badges | Vendor ID: Forevertruth

TRB Membership Handbook | Vendor ID: Handbook23

MAGA Pen 2023 | Vendor ID: ddg2016

TRB Black Check | Vendor ID: Trbgolden

Comeback Coin | Vendor ID: comeback2023

TRB Red Voucher | Vendor ID: RedPower

TRB Red Check | Vendor ID: RedPower

TRB Golden Voucher | Vendor ID: booster2

TRB Membership Booster | Vendor ID: booster2

TRB Bucks | Vendor ID: logistore0711

Gold TRB Handbook | Vendor ID: Klavce10

TRB Golden Ticket | Vendor ID: Handbook23

TRB Mystery Ticket | Vendor ID: logistore0711

TRB License | Vendor ID: logistore0711

New Platform, New Scam – 2023

Following the ban of TRB and Trump-related products on platforms such as Digistore24 and ClickBank, sellers quickly looked for a new platform to continue their scam. The choice? CopeCart, often called ‘Cope’ by sellers of these fake Trump products, allowed hundreds of these products to be listed and sold on their platform with no regulations on the marketing and sales of the products.

The CopeCart platform has allowed the sale of numerous TRB and Trump products.

In just a matter of weeks, over 100 products related to the TRB system and Trump were launched, with nearly 90% of vendors selling these products located in or around the city of Veles. Notably, if you read the product descriptions and disclosures on CopeCart’s checkout page, you will find a statement saying, “After a review of this product, CopeCart has determined that this product has NO MONETARY VALUE and aims to provide value through intangible benefits.” The company also confirmed that all products resembling souvenirs must indicate that they “have no monetary value.”All products reviewed by SNNW include a disclaimer in the description stating that they are souvenirs, both on CopeCart’s final checkout page and in small print on their websites as well.

It’s an open secret that profits from this scam are mostly withdrawn from ATMs in Greece, Bulgaria, or North Macedonia, and other countries using Payoneer-issued credit cards. By withdrawing funds this way, the typical 13% tax on foreign income and the banking fees for transferring funds within North Macedonia are significantly reduced.

Payoneer, the platform that issued physical credit cards to Macedonian scammers.

How It All Ended – February 2024

The entire scam, which had allowed a few people to make millions, began to fall apart on February 26, 2024 after nearly a year of operations on the new platform, CopeCart. The collapse started when Radio Free Europe published a full investigation report on the entire scam. Within hours, all private channels promoting these fake Trump-related products were completely deleted. After an in-depth investigation by SNNW and discussions with some of the affiliates for these products, their accounts used for selling TRB products were completely blocked from receiving any payouts.

After Radio Free Europe’s investigation, SNNW discovered that the operations for the small group of scammers were temporarily put ‘on pause.’ However, this pause lasted only a few weeks before a couple of individuals launched a completely new system, designed to generate millions for the Macedonian scammers in just a few weeks.

“Екипо, тука сме повторно со вас да направиме повторно BOOM!” This was the first message, written in Macedonian and posted on April 24, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in a private Telegram channel called “AMF System Card.” The channel currently has 689 subscribers and is accessible only with administrator approval.

The first ever message that was posted in the “AMF System Card” channel.

“Се работи за нов систем што веќе секој во Америка го знае AMF System Накратко акциите од TRB системот се веќе откупени од AMF системот и искеширањето ке се одвива само преку AMF системот.” was one of the first messages posted in the private AMF System Card Telegram channel. On the same day, the first fake video featuring Donald Trump was released, “promoting” the AMF system and claiming that any American holding TRB products needed to purchase the AMF System Card to access their funds, which were supposedly tied to investments in Trump since the 2016 election.”

An ad on a Telegram channel advertising the “AMF System Card”.

“На тие што им се акауните под истрага или немате исплати, направете си нов со друг мејл и продолжете со продавање, повторно продолжуваме на Копе,” was another message from the administrators in these private Telegram channels after CopeCart blocked TRB products on their platform.

“Но во случај ако на некој му е потребен discount code може слободно да не контактира на: @amfsystem_coordinator достапни сме 24/7 на ваше располагање”

“Па ако ви е топ приказнава можеме да почнеме одма со 💵. Земете си Affiliate па видете си сами Conversion rate над 10% мислам дека беше 😂. AMF System Handbook беше тестиран од наша страна, а ќе се уверите и сами колку е прејака приказната, а и самиот продукт. Еден офер е $1499 ама сепак си го купуваат повеќе пати ПРОВЕРЕНО.” “За тие што работите супорт имаме материјали и документи повеќе од Општина Велес 😂 пишете ни овде Инфо: @amfsystem_coordinator ќе ви испратиме па бирајте што ќе нудите…”

Messages like these were shared across various Telegram channels, promoting products by CopeCart vendors who offered custom videos, images, and documents to help boost affiliate’s sales.

In just 28 days, the vendors behind the AMF System Card shared a video in the private Telegram channel showing a CopeCart account balance of $1,000,000. Nearly four months later, they posted another video displaying their total combined earnings of $4,009,089 from all their products.”

Sales and instructions on how to easily deceive Americans into buying these products were posted almost daily.

Over the following weeks, more than 30 new products were launched on CopeCart. These products included cards, tickets, certificates, checks, stickers, custom forms, coins, and many other.

One such product was the Golden Q Coin, which used fake videos and images of Donald Trump to claim that the coin was worth $100,000 and would soon increase to nearly $150,000. It was sold for a ‘limited price’ of $150 on the official website. The vendor also posted an image showing that he had made nearly $1,000,000 from the Golden Q Coin and the AMF Form on his CopeCart account in just a few weeks.

Deepfake Technology…

This entire scheme relies heavily on fake images and deepfake videos to deceive American TRB holders and investors into purchasing products through affiliate links on CopeCart. Once an affiliate link is created and shared within a Telegram channel, the money starts rolling in. Using tools like Photoshop and deepfake AI technology, vendors of products like the AMF System Card—who also run channels such as AMF System Handbook, AMF Golden Coin, and AMF Fees Cards—post ads nearly every day.

A photoshopped image, on the right, alongside its original on the left.

Since the first post, it’s estimated that more than 500 fake images and videos of celebrities, including Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, and Jeff Bezos, have been shared in just the AMF System Card channel. These posts also include deepfake videos of Melania Trump, the former President’s wife, endorsing the AMF System Card and describing it as a unique way to cash out TRB products.

Following an in-depth investigation by SNNW, we discovered that nearly all websites selling these fake “Trump” products are hosted on a platform called Godaddy. Using tools like who.is, we couldn’t identify the individuals who registered the websites due to domain name privacy protections. However, according to Godaddy’s Terms of Service, the hosting company is legally required to comply with any actions taken by authorities or law enforcement agencies.

who.is search registry results for the domain name republicansfuture.com.

Local authorities in North Macedonia are aware of an ongoing scam that has been running for years, yet they have not taken any action to stop it. When asked about the situation, Marko Kolev, the mayor of Veles, told Radio Free Europe, “Honestly, I don’t know how legal or illegal it is, but there is likely abuse, as some of the items marketed in these [Telegram] groups imply that if Trump returns to power, their value will increase. This is how U.S. citizens are being manipulated.”

Veles Mayor Marko Kolev giving an interview to Radio Slobodna Evropa.

He further explained that he has not discussed legal actions or prosecutions with investigative authorities, stating that there isn’t enough evidence to move forward.

The Real Losers? American Trump Supporters…

After purchasing one of these fake products and waiting 10-15 days for it to arrive at your home address, as stated in the private Telegram channels, you might write something on the certificate or try to use your card.

By that time, your chances of getting a refund are nearly zero. The 14-day money-back guarantee on CopeCart has usually expired by the time the product arrives, and the fake Telegram agent who sold you the product has deleted the entire conversation.

Customers misled into purchasing these fake products, hoping to “cash out their funds,” may never see their money again. Scammers in Veles have created additional systems, such as requiring Americans to register for a 14 to 30 day waiting period to “process TRB payments,” a strategy intended to “avoid refunds,” as noted in one of the private Telegram channels.

Customers sharing their review and describes their experience with TRB products on CopeCart.

Posts on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Trustpilot claim that customers who bought these worthless “memorial-type products” have had their refund requests ignored by CopeCart. However, SNNW could not fully confirm if this information is true.

If something seems too good to be true, it more than likely is. If you come across a scam like this, it’s advisable to report it to local authorities immediately.

Statement: SNNW interviewed a victim of this scheme who requested anonymity for this investigation. She currently holds 1,328 TRB products stored in a bank safe. Although she declined to disclose the exact amount spent on these purchases, she indicated that it totals hundreds of thousands of dollars.