Darknet Markets: The Dark Web’s Thriving Black Markets Revealed
Understanding the Darkweb Marketplace
After the Biker DLC, players can now purchase buildings for illegal drugs and counterfeit products manufacture, and distribute them through a darknet website called “The Open Road” where law enforcement cannot be notified of the player’s trade. Overall, our dataset includes a total of 851,199 unique listings, which were observed a total of 8,538,593 times between January 1, 2020 and November 16, 2020. In Table 2 we report the breakdown of the number of unique listings and their total observations in each of the 30 DWMs.
Nexus Market, a new generation top dark web market , provides various range of drugs and various other products. Nexus Market accepts payment via bitcoin and monero (XMR) secure transactions for anonymity seekers. Four of the top five highest-earning darknet markets in 2022 were conventional, drug-focused darknet markets, while just one, Brian Dumps, was a fraud shop. In the two years it was open, Silk Road provided goods and services to nearly 150,000 buyers, with all transactions done in bitcoin. Silk Road was shut down by the FBI in October 2013 and the site’s founder, Robert Ulbricht, is in prison serving a life sentence for computer hacking, money laundering, and conspiracy to traffic narcotics.
Here, we analyse 851,199 listings extracted from 30 DWMs between January 1, 2020 and November 16, 2020. We identify 788 listings directly related to COVID-19 products and monitor the temporal evolution of product categories including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), medicines (e.g., hydroxyclorochine), and medical frauds. Finally, we compare trends in their temporal evolution with variations in public attention, as measured by Twitter posts and Wikipedia page visits. We reveal how the online shadow economy has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the importance of a continuous monitoring of DWMs, especially now that real vaccines are available and in short supply. We anticipate our analysis will be of interest both to researchers and public agencies focused on the protection of public health. Before its closure, DarkMarket hosted close to 500,000 users and had facilitated over 320,000 transactions, according to Europol.
Listing of marketplace categories for Tor2dor, Dark0de, Nemesis, and Bohemia. In each marketplace shown guides takes a top 3 category, and never takes up less than 9.32% of listings. Hacking appears as a top 3 listing in both Tor2dor and Bohemia, not falling below 9.32% of listings on said websites. The x-axis lists the vendor’s chosen username, and the y represents the number of entries on each platform.
The darkweb marketplace is a hidden segment of the internet, often associated with illegal activities, where goods and services are exchanged anonymously. Operating beyond the reach of traditional search engines, these marketplaces offer users the ability to buy and sell products without revealing their identities.
Characteristics of Darkweb Marketplaces
The content of darknets makes up the dark web — Silk Road was the first modern dark web marketplace. These markets exist on the Tor network in order to create security and anonymity for both users and darknet providers. Transactions take place via a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin using dark wallets to protect the seller and buyer.
This offers additional layer of anonymity making it harder to trace financial flows. Proton Mail provides end to end encrypted email service and doesn’t store any details of its users as is stored by regular email service providers like Gmail or Yahoo Mail. This adds one more layer of anonymity for wildlife traffickers to operate on darkweb with a sense of impunity. Our dataset contains listings crawled from 30 DWMs between January 1, 2020 and November 16, 2020 by Flashpoint Intelligence [72], a company specializing in online risk intelligence.
Several key characteristics define a darkweb marketplace:
- Anonymous Transactions: Most darkweb sites use cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which help maintain user anonymity.
- Encrypted Communication: Many marketplaces offer encrypted chat features, protecting users’ conversations from potential surveillance.
- Escrow Services: To build trust, most platforms implement escrow services that hold funds until both parties fulfill the transaction.
While our primary concern was collecting data on the products’ names, vendors, and prices, we found that more data-rich markets could help us maximize the size of our public data set. Furthermore, these extra features had the potential to be incredibly enriching for our own data analysis, so we made sure to include these markets in our programming. Kingdom Market is a newer darknet market that has been around since April 2021 but was only recently vetted for listing on Dread, the pre-eminent forum for markets on the dark web.
Popular Darkweb Marketplaces
Although many darkweb marketplaces have been shut down over the years, some have remained popular among users:
- Silk Road: The first well-known darkweb marketplace, focusing primarily on drugs.
- AlphaBay: Known for a wide range of illicit goods, AlphaBay attracted a large user base before its shutdown.
- Empire Market: Gaining traction after AlphaBay’s demise, it offers numerous products and services.
How to Access the Darkweb Marketplace
To explore a darkweb marketplace, users typically follow these steps:
- Download Tor Browser: This browser enables users to access .onion sites that constitute the dark web.
- Create a Cryptocurrency Wallet: This is essential for making anonymous transactions.
- Access Marketplaces: Find links to darkweb marketplaces through forums or trusted directories.
Risks Involved in Darkweb Marketplaces
Engaging with a darkweb marketplace carries inherent risks:
- Legal Consequences: Many activities conducted on these platforms are illegal.
- Scams: Users may encounter fraudulent listings or non-delivery of purchased goods.
- Malware Threats: Downloading files may lead to malware infections.
FAQs About Darkweb Marketplaces
What is the dark web?
The dark web is a part of the internet that isn’t indexed by standard search engines and requires specific software to access.
Are all transactions on dark web marketplaces illegal?
While many activities on darkweb marketplaces are illegal, there are also legal vendors offering privacy-focused services.
How can I protect myself while navigating the dark web?
- According to a press release from the Federal Criminal Police Office in Germany (BKA), the marketplace had 42,000 items listed for sale when it was seized, including 3,600 from Germany.
- Some even also allow you to contract with criminals, like hitmen or professional spies.
- And the same sites with vendors who sell illegal drugs also have vendors who sell breached financial data, phishing kits, and other cybercrime weapons.
- The fact they were being advertised so publicly in Moscow was slightly bizarre.
Use trusted VPN services, maintain anonymity, avoid sharing personal information, and be aware of potential scams.
What should I do if I believe I’ve been scammed?
Contact the marketplace’s support if possible, document everything, and consider reporting to authorities.
In summary, while the darkweb marketplace presents opportunities for anonymous transactions, users must navigate it with caution due to the associated risks and legal implications. Educating oneself about its workings is crucial for any potential user.
