Imagine scrolling through a buy-and-sell website and suddenly spotting a listing for a fighter jet? Netizens came across just this, recently, where the American-made F-35 British fighter was put for sale with its brand new tyres, a fresh battery, and a warranty valid until 2026. The price? Listed at four million US dollars (₹34 Crore approx). And the seller? Someone going by the name “Donaldu Trumpan.”
Sounds fishy, right? But that didn’t stop thousands of people from sharing the screenshot, wondering if it was real.
This strange turn of events started in Thiruvananthapuram, where a fighter jet recently made an emergency landing at the airport. Due to rough weather and inadequate fuel, the pilot had to land the aircraft, taking off as part of a warship exercise, in Kerala.
While the aircraft was parked for technical inspection and repairs, someone saw an opportunity for an unacceptable prank — or maybe a quick stunt at going viral.
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Earlier this week, photos of the jet began circulating on a fake website pretending to be OLX, the popular Indian classifieds platform.
The listing featured an image of the jet, complete with details about its warranty and “brand new” parts. And people, at least for a moment, started to wonder: could it be real?
Thankfully, the internet did what it does best. Alert social media users quickly fact-checked the claim and learned about the untrue nature of the post.
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Interestingly, this isn’t the first time aviation and online pranksters have collided.
During the early days of Operation Sindoor, a rumour spread that an Indian Air Force Rafale had been downed.
Before long, random bits of metal and scrap started appearing online, with Pakistani sellers claiming they were pieces of the wreckage — some listed for ₹20,000. Again, there was no official confirmation that any IAF jet was damaged, and the listings were clearly opportunistic fakes.
