A 'Bitcoin millionaire' is selling $500 'Freedom Phones' to MAGA fans -- and it looks like a massive grift: report

A self-proclaimed "Bitcoin millionaire" is pitching a mobile device called the "Freedom Phone" to supporters of former President Donald Trump -- but as The Daily Beast's Will Sommer reports, it looks like a massive grift.

It turns out that the phone, which was created by conservative cryptocurrency enthusiast Erik Finman, "appears to be merely a more expensive rebranding of a budget Chinese phone available elsewhere for a fraction of the Freedom Phone's price," writes Sommer.

Finman has promised that the phone is technically comparable with other high-end phones on the market, but so far has refused to release its specifications.

Sommer did some detective work and has determined that the Freedom Phone is a slightly altered version of the Umidigi A9 Pro, a budget device that sells for a mere $120.

"Asked to justify the Freedom Phone's notable price increase over the Umidigi model, Finman claimed vaguely that the Freedom Phone features customized hardware and improved memory," writes Sommer. "He committed Wednesday to publishing the phone's technical specifications — basic details any company selling a phone should be able to provide. As of Thursday afternoon, however, no technical specifications had been provided to The Daily Beast or added to the Freedom Phone's website."

Finman billed the "Freedom Phone" as the ideal device for conservatives who feel censored by "Big Tech," and it comes preloaded with favorite right-wing apps such as Parler and Rumble.

The phone has also been promoted by right-wing media personalities including Dinesh D'Souza and Candace Owens.