Combatting Online Drug Sales: Should Law Enforcement Chase Vendors Or Shut Down Markets?
Understanding Darknet Markets
The term darknet markets refers to online platforms that operate on the dark web, primarily for the buying and selling of illicit goods and services. These marketplaces are not indexed by traditional search engines and require specific software, such as Tor, to access.
Insider threats also include things like embezzlement, records tampering, money laundering, crypto mining, deploying malware, stock trading, espionage, and more dastardly deeds. These workers are generally looking for profit instead of revenge, but sometimes that’s a factor – and they’ll keep doing it until they’re caught. DarkMarket also advertised itself as being the only such site administered exclusively by women. This was an intriguing boast—a prosecutor told me it was made to gain users’ trust—but it was untrue. DarkMarket’s thirty-four-year-old founder and administrator was apparently an Australian man, who was arrested last weekend near the German-Danish border.
What Darknet Markets Are Available?
While prevention should target potential customers, survey research involving the users of darknet markets usually ends up being small-scale (Bergeron et al., 2022b; Karden & Strizek, 2022). To overcome this issue, we selected a population whose members have characteristics that help them place themselves in fictitious purchasing situations on the darknet. This projective (third-person) technique can help when respondents do not want to reveal their real attitudes about something (Kumar et al., 2018) and has already been applied in cyber criminology (Parti et al., 2018). This approach lets us compile a sample that is large enough to perform multivariate statistical analysis to explore trust factors behind purchasing decisions of (potential) DNM customers.
There are several darknet markets available, each specializing in different types of products and services. Here are some of the most notable ones:
“When a market is closed, its users are actively searching for alternatives, while competitors promote themselves eager to fill a niche,” Kivilevich says. When Joker’s Stash bowed out, for example, UniCC made a bid for its customers and subsequently appeared “to have received significant profits,” she says. Last month, the anonymous administrator of UniCC, which was then the world’s biggest market for stolen payment card data following the retirement of Joker’s Stash, announced its own retirement in a forum post. “We are not young and our health do not allow to work like this any longer,” it read.
We then focus on counterfeit product types and product origins and compare our measures with estimates from audits of goods seized by law enforcement at borders. Lastly, we evaluate the monetary value of offered and sold counterfeits and the generated sales volume of vendors. Determining those details will help us (III) report counterfeit prices more accurately (by product types) and make sales volume estimations through product feedback, which can help us better understand the counterfeit economy on the dark web. Subsequently, we (IV) compare dark web counterfeit prices with prices of the same products on the surface web to understand possible profit margins for the various product types identified. We then (V) compare our results to observations made through border seizures, complaint statistics, and activities from authorities to contribute to the overall understanding of the counterfeit economy.
The FBI seized crypto wallets of Silk Road users and arrested Ulbricht, collecting millions of dollars worth of Bitcoin. The seizure of Bitcoin and arrest of Ulbricht were meant to send a clear message to all other cybercriminal enterprises. Fischer and Taylor sold other drugs on the darknet that they advertised as being legitimate, pharmaceutically, produced drugs.
The Silk Road defined its name based on the historical network of trade routes between Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, and Europe. And although the Silk Road hasn’t operated for years, it laid the foundation for other darknet markets to follow. Today, the Silk Road is an important case study when analyzing the growth of other dark web markets. The Nightmare Market shutdown is a perfect microcosm of the issue with shutting down individual darknet markets.
- Silk Road 3.1: A successor to the infamous Silk Road, this market focuses on drugs and personal services.
- Hydra: Operating primarily in Russian, it is one of the largest darknet markets, specializing in drug trafficking.
- AlphaBay: Closed in 2017, it was known for a wide range of products, from drugs to fake IDs, and is rumored to have relaunched.
- Empire Market: Known for its user-friendly interface and a large variety of listings, including drugs, counterfeit goods, and hacking services.
- Dark0de: Often regarded for high-quality hacking tools and services, this market also deals in drugs and other illicit materials.
As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. Webz.io’s cyber analyst team reveals the top dark web trends in 2022. Despite the handful of markets, there’s more people than ever trying to uncover what’s happening.
However, 334 cash-out service entities (mainstream exchanges, high-risk exchanges and mixers) that received funds from both Hydra and its top five successors (Mega, Blacksprut, OMG!OMG!, Kraken and Solaris) showed an overlap of just under 50 percent. Due to the concerted law enforcement action (and successive sanctions) against Hydra, cryptocurrency cash-out services are often wary of running under the same name as they did on the now-defunct market. However, they are still interested in regaining their former clientele. Thus Flashpoint analysts have observed several cash-out services and their users stating that the service in question had been present on Hydra, typically in a positive context. L; 5,030 on Mega; 4,849 on Solaris; 4,313 on Blacksprut; and 2,095 on Kraken, which was a late addition to the competition. This data suggests that while vendors spread offers more evenly across the markets, buyers showed a clear preference for Mega.
How Do Users Access Darknet Markets?
Accessing darknet markets requires some technical knowledge:
- Download the Tor browser to anonymize your internet connection.
- Find specific .onion links to the markets you wish to visit.
- Set up a cryptocurrency wallet for transactions, as most markets only accept cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
Common Products Found on Darknet Markets
Users on darknet markets typically look for:
- Moreover, the definition of counterfeits varies across nations, further complicating how counterfeiting is measured.
- Users who purchase products can provide feedback ratings on quality, delivery, and service on a scale from 1-5 to further establish vendor credibility.
- InTheBox features over 400 custom “web injects” that threat actors can buy and use to hack into different mobile apps and services.
- Controlled substances: Various types of drugs, often including detailed descriptions and lab results.
- Stolen data: Credit card information, personal identification, and login credentials.
- Counterfeit goods: Fake designer products, currency, and IDs.
- Hacking services: Tools for cyber attacks and services for hire.
FAQs About Darknet Markets
Q: Are all darknet markets illegal?
A: While many darknet markets deal in illegal goods, some may host legal products or services. However, most attract illicit activity.
Q: How can I stay safe while exploring darknet markets?
A: Use a VPN, research markets before access, and never share personal information.
Q: Can you get caught using darknet markets?
A: Yes, law enforcement actively monitors many darknet spaces. Users can be tracked and prosecuted if found engaging in illegal activities.
Conclusion
While darknet markets provide a platform for certain goods and services, they come with significant risks. Awareness and caution are essential when navigating these hidden corners of the internet.
