Out of 95,011 opioid-related listings, 3.3% (3,101/95,011) were for novel synthetic opioids. In comparison, heroin was identified in 55.2% (52,510/95,011) of all opioid-related listings, and there were 1,945 heroin-related listings per each crawl, on average. This is four times the cost of high-end grocer Ocado (£4) for example, while Tesco accounts are least appealing, priced at less than a £1 each. Notable price surges include Airbnb (£20), Facebook (£14) and PayPal (£84.50) due to the sheer scope of potential fraud that can be committed by scammers in possession of these accounts. In order to assess the potential impact of this on consumers, we have reviewed a selection of the most important hacked log-ins and accounts to track their changing value to identity thieves. Gmail accounts trade for well over five times as much as they did last year, however, due to the vulnerability of accounts using SMS for 2FA.
Darknet Market Activity Higher Than Ever In 2019 Despite Closures How Does Law Enforcement Respond?

The average price of a gram of non-pharmaceutical fentanyl was U.S.$1,470.4 for listings offering less than 5 grams and U.S.$139.5 for listings offering 5 grams or more. Notably, carfentanil was advertised for an average price of U.S.$2,311.8 per gram for retail-level amounts and an average price of U.S.$101.0 per gram for wholesale-level amounts. Furanylfentanyl (Fu-F), the most common fentanyl analog appearing on DreamMarket, was advertised for an average price of U.S.$243.1 per gram for retail listings and an average price of U.S.$26.5 per gram for wholesale listings. For other novel synthetic opioids, U-48,800 was advertised on average U.S.$.48.4 per gram for retail-level amounts and U.S.$14.2 per gram for listings offering wholesale-level amounts. U-47,700 was offered for an average price of U.S.$100.3 per gram for retail listings and an average price of U.S.$19.7 per gram for wholesale listings.
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But if an attacker has access to an unencrypted network that you’re using, it’s easy to view your account data and steal or alter your information. Darknet Markets 2025 are online cyber criminal platforms exclusively accessible via the Tor network, used to promote advertising, buying and selling illegal goods including a variety amount of cybersecurity-related tools. As a billion dollar industry dealing in illicit goods, dark web markets are a great concern for governments. The researchers say their figures are economically significant and serve as initial evidence in support of the effectiveness of selectively targeting large-scale drug vendors to dampen darknet activities. Although the arms trade is small in volume compared to other products trafficked online, its potential impact on international security is significant. Originally used by the United States Department of Defense to communicate anonymously, the dark web has now become a hub for users wishing to remain anonymous around the world.
This has driven the average price up to $260, suggesting the increasing difficulty of stealing this data. In last year’s Price Index, PayPal‘s average price of $247 was inflated by the number of accounts listed with balances in excess of $10,000. Individual accounts marked with US or UK are based on data applicable to that country only, otherwise prices in GBP have been converted from USD at the FX rate at the writing, $1.31. A Canadian market established in 2021, WTN offers over 9,000 products, including narcotics, fake goods, and digital services. It operates in both French and English and has built a reputation for ease-of-use. According to the latest Index, North America’s average drug trade score rose by 0.13 points, while the scores for Northern Europe and Western Europe increased by 0.31 and 0.27, respectively.
Dark Web Price Index 2025

Credit card, debit cards, bank details and online payment accounts are listed in vast quantities and can command the highest prices, particularly when the lure of a high value balance is present. Our analysis of the trade in stolen online credentials and personal data revealed individual hacked accounts for brands with recent privacy or security woes have become significantly more appealing to fraudsters. That’s why many law enforcement agencies have shifted their focus to arresting individual vendors. Perhaps our most interesting finding is that darknet markets’ transaction activity appears to be less influenced by the ebbs and flows of the cryptocurrency markets and other forms of seasonality compared to other services. The graph above shows a comparison of total Bitcoin transaction volume between darknet markets and three other types of services over the course of 2019. While all categories see spikes in July around the same time as a Bitcoin price surge, darknet markets exhibit a much less dramatic spike than the others.
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Not only that, but it’s easy for them to coordinate with one another to find new markets on forums such as Dread, a Reddit-like discussion site devoted to darknet markets. We should note though that some of the highest-earning markets shown above only serve specific countries or regions. For instance, Hydra Marketplace, by far the most popular market on the graph, caters only to customers in Russia. Below, we have another version of this chart showing only markets with a global customer base. Some of the markets shown in the second graph are more popular in some countries than others, but overall, the data shown below will be more relevant to investigators based in the U.S. and Western Europe. Although eight of the darknet markets active in 2018 closed in 2019, eight new ones opened, keeping the total number of active markets steady at 49.
If we understand what types of data criminals can buy from hackers on the dark web, we will understand what types of threats we can face and what types of data we should be securing. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. In the coming month, the Department of the Treasury will publish an updated National Strategy to Combat Illicit Finance, which will highlight planned Treasury efforts to further combat the misuse of virtual currency and exchanges. Likewise, access credentials to accounts and online services (email, streaming services, or online stores) range in price from $1 to $50.
Law Enforcement Action Had Little Effect On Supply And Prices
This example highlights the utility of the eDarkTrends platform and cryptomarket data in general for timely identification and effective surveillance of emerging substance use trends. The eDarkTrends NER algorithm was designed to identify and group opioid drug mentions into higher-level classes (e.g., heroin, pharmaceutical fentanyl, non-pharmaceutical fentanyl). These classes included sub-classes to identify specific types of fentanyl analogs and other drugs. For example, the fentanyl analog class included a list of 51 fentanyl analog names (e.g., carfentanyl, acetylfentanyl), and other novel synthetic opioid class included a list of 17 compounds (e.g., U-47,700, AP-237) (see Table 1).
This includes everything from academic papers and government documents to private, password-protected data like online banking, medical records, and email accounts. As its contents are unindexed, it’s impossible to determine the Dark Web’s exact size. In fact, the Dark Web is a small subset of a much larger Deep Web — a part of the internet containing all the pages hidden from search engines for privacy and security reasons. Meanwhile, the visible part of the internet all users can access is known as the Surface Web, and it hosts an estimated 19 terabytes of data. Here is a profile of a Dark Web vendor, one of nearly 2 million total vendors (active and inactive), who sell stolen, hacked, or bogus data and documents on the Dark Web’s 32 data product sites.
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The short, scary answer is that some of your personal data is almost certainly already for sale on the dark web. Haveibeenpwned.com should be your first port of call, as it’ll help you find out which of your email accounts and old passwords have been compromised in a data breach. The average person has dozens of accounts which form their online identity, all of which can be hacked and sold. Our study provides new insights into the role of the darknet in the availability of non-pharmaceutical fentanyl, fentanyl analogs and other novel synthetic opioids. Furthermore, information about new detections of synthetic opioids on cryptomarkets could also be communicated to darknet market customers via existing community forums, alongside appropriate harm-reduction advice. Another possibility would be to contact cryptomarket administrators when information contained in listing descriptions of new substances are erroneous and/or misleading potentially leading to adverse consequences for users.

While the majority of organ and tissue transplants globally are conducted through legal channels, the dark web provides an avenue for those seeking to buy and sell body parts outside of the regulated healthcare system. This clandestine market attracts individuals who are desperate for organs, tissues, or blood, as well as those willing to profit from the desperation of others. Given that pricing reflects demand, Ocado and Tesco accounts have proven less profitable for scammers in the past, likely due to better security, less lucrative rewards schemes or fewer vulnerable stored payment methods. Looking to online retail, stolen accounts for budget supermarket Morrison’s (£16) are actually more expensive than those of its more upmarket competitors due to the potential for exploiting its rewards system. Prices have inflated further as sellers demand a larger percentage cut of the balance. Accounts now sell for 20% or even 30% of the balance, compared to 5-10% previously.
- This article presents the data collected and processed by the eDarkTrends platform concerning the availability trends of novel synthetic opioids listed on one cryptomarket.
- It’s common for vendors of stolen streaming services to offer “lifetime accounts”.
- Smart contracts are self-executing computer programs that are stored on a blockchain and are used to automate the execution of transactions.
- What kinds of services are darknet marketplace vendors and their customers using to facilitate these activities?
- As security systems increase, so does the sophistication of these attacks, which can jeopardise the security of financial and personal data for millions of users.
During the study period, an average of 2.8 kg of fentanyl-type substances were listed for sale at each time point of data collection. In addition, there were an average of 2,495 non-pharmaceutical oxycodone pills pressed with fentanyl available for purchase at each time point when data were collected. The information about the amount of fentanyl added to these pills was specified only by one vendor, in a total of 7 listings (out of 123), and was equal to 150μg.
Despite a recent push for security awareness and forcing people to implement 2FA, a huge number of people still become victims of cybercriminals who manage to steal their online payment accounts. Many people also prefer to buy goods and services online, which allows for more opportunities to steal people’s personal data and financial information. One of the most high-profile examples of cryptocurrency-based PML involved the North Korean Military in 2021. Cryptocurrency payment processors are legitimate services that help individuals and businesses accept cryptocurrency as payment.
Darknet markets, also known as “cryptomarkets,” are online marketplaces that operate on the dark web, a part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and is only accessible through specialized software. These markets are often used for the sale and purchase of illegal goods and services, such as drugs, weapons, and stolen data. However, it’s worth noting that markets specializing in other illicit goods also bring in sizable funds. The shift to digital markets has also reshaped the way illicit substances are bought, sold and distributed.