The Risk Of Being Caught Has Become Too Great
Understanding the Darknet Market
Respondents ranked vendor reliability (TF 2) as the second most important trust factor in illegal drug purchasing on the darknet. In addition, most of the respondents would prefer to purchase drugs online than in person. Both findings indicate that the perception of the reliability of markets and vendors determines potential customers’ decisions. The escrow system used in darknet markets provides an additional technical guarantee of payment security by depositing the price of the ordered product and releasing it upon receipt if both the vendor and the customer agree (Moeller, 2022).
Another trust-building factor is offering a wide range of products so that customers can choose between, for example, goods of lower or higher quality or from various manufacturers. The importance of weight, value, potency, purity, and price of drug products was highlighted by previous darknet studies as well (Bancroft & Reid, 2016; Munksgaard et al., 2022). Dark web markets like WeTheNorth serve as valuable sources of cyber threat intelligence for both private and public sector alike. Recorded Future clients can access more information about WeTheNorth market and other darknet activity through Intelligence Cards in the Recorded Future platform.
Account takeover and fraud are common outcomes seen in mobile malware attacks. In July 2022, a federal grand jury in Washington returned against Desnica a two-count indictment and forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds from his alleged crimes. He’s charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and money laundering. The charges respectively carry maximum sentences of life imprisonment and 20 years.
The darknet market refers to a part of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines and is accessed through specific software that provides anonymity. One of the most well-known software used to access the darknet market is Tor, which allows users to browse the web anonymously by routing their connection through a series of servers.
Types of Goods and Services Available
On January 12th 2022, UniCC – a darknet marketplace for stolen credit cards – announced its retirement on a prominent carding forum. UniCC had risen to become market leader following the retirement of Joker’s Stash, and amassed sales of $358 million. Individuals began using the darknet to pseudonymously sell illegal content without face-to-face interaction.
The category “Other” often contained custom orders, with product titles such as “custom [customer name]”, complicating the annotation process. Since the classifier received additional information from the product description, which was not available to the annotators, it is possible that mismatches between the annotations and product descriptions led to more misclassifications in the category “Other”. For example, some custom orders might have similar descriptions as other counterfeits. Besides custom orders, the category “Other” also included guides, instructions, counterfeit art (e.g., paintings), or cars. For more information on darknet markets, you can read the full report by Chainalysis here. The chart below reveals darknet market revenue and the number of transfers to those markets.
However, in the wake of Hydra’s takedown many Russian vendors set up independent vendor shops and automated Telegram shops employing Telegram shop bots, although this did not imply a wholesale move away from DNMs. Hydra vendors also offered a robust array of money laundering and so-called “cash-out” services, which allowed Hydra users to convert their bitcoin (BTC) into a variety of forms of currency supported by Hydra’s wide array of vendors. In addition, Hydra offered an in-house mixing service to launder and then process vendors’ withdrawals.
- Commentators have suggested “multi-sig” crypto payments — requiring multiple keys to authorize a payment — and OpenBazaar, a fully-decentralized marketplace for e-commerce transactions.
- There does not appear to be products such as weapons or listings that are human-related.
- The site controller, an Australian national, was identified following forensic examination of servers based in Moldova and Ukraine.
- Traditionally, this section incorporates items related to the financial and business matters.
- Stealth becomes more significant in illegal than in legal commercial transactions, where invisibility can prevent exposure or embarrassment (Aldridge & Askew, 2017).
- DeSnake, meanwhile, maintained both on Dread and to WIRED that he doesn’t have any personal or professional connection to threesixty, the hacker whose vulnerability discovery took down AlphaBay’s largest remaining competitor.
Note that this step is unsupervised and there is no ground truth regarding the mapping between addresses and entities20. Then, clusters were identified as specific dark marketplaces, using transaction data collected by Chainalysis Inc. (the technique employed for the identification is similar to the one described in20). Identification of addresses by Chainalysis Inc. related to illicit activities has been relied upon in many law enforcement investigations29,30. Given the potential uses of identified Bitcoin data, rigorous investigation and avoidance of false positives is crucial.
Within the darknet market, a wide variety of goods and services can be found, including:
Setting up a single vendor shop allows those vendors to save on fees that would ordinarily go to the administrators of a traditional darknet market. Whatever your role in infosec, you probably know by now that dark web marketplaces offer budding and expert hackers various tools, data, credentials, ransomware, and malware for sale, with payment usually made via cryptocurrency. It’s in this underground landscape of shady buyers and sellers where dark web threats often lurk undetected until it’s too late and you suffer a breach.
- Illegal Drugs: Many users turn to the darknet market to purchase various types of narcotics.
- Weapons: Firearms and other weapons are often sold in clandestine listings.
- Stolen Data: Credit card information, personal records, and hacked accounts can be traded.
- Counterfeit Goods: Fake currency, identification cards, and luxury items are common transactions.
- Hacking Services: Many offer services for websites or individuals, ranging from website defacement to DDoS attacks.
How Transactions Work
Transactions in the darknet market typically involve the use of cryptocurrencies, primarily Bitcoin, due to their pseudonymous nature. Here is a general overview of the transaction process:
- Create an Account: Users must first register on a specific marketplace that operates in the darknet.
- Fund Wallet: Users deposit cryptocurrency into their account wallet.
- Choose Items: Browse listings to select desired items or services.
- Escrow System: Most marketplaces use an escrow service to protect both buyers and sellers.
- Leave Feedback: Post-transaction, users can leave feedback about the experience.
The Risks Involved
While the darknet market presents many opportunities, it also carries significant risks:
- Legal Risks: Engaging in illegal activities can lead to severe legal consequences.
- Scams: Many users fall victim to scams, receiving nothing in return for their payment.
- Security Threats: Personal information can be compromised, leading to identity theft.
- Market Instability: Many darknet markets shut down suddenly, often resulting in lost funds.
Common FAQs
Is it safe to shop on the darknet market?
While some users report positive experiences, there are inherent dangers including scams, legal repercussions, and risks to personal security.
How do I access the darknet market?
Access typically requires specific software like Tor, along with a secure method of payment like Bitcoin.
What is the most popular darknet market?
There are various marketplaces, but their popularity can shift rapidly due to law enforcement actions and other factors.
Can I be tracked while using the darknet market?
While the darknet market offers anonymity, advanced tracking techniques can still potentially identify users.
Conclusion
The darknet market serves as a double-edged sword, providing anonymity and access to illicit goods while posing serious risks. Understanding these complexities is crucial for anyone considering engagement with this underground realm.
