4(a), with a peak in May and a sudden decrease after July, as PPE have gradually become more available worldwide with respect to the shortage in the beginning of the pandemic. COVID-19 medicines remained approximately stable throughout these months, with a peak after USA president Donald Trump first referred to chloroquine 79. A different trend was found for COVID-19 guides on scamming, which saw spikes in the number of listings in correspondence to event related to relief program measures 80–82. It is important to note that vendors often do not provide complete information on their listings but rather invite direct communication to facilitate sales. The dark web is a portion of the Internet that is inaccessible to normal search engines.
Looking Ahead: The Geopolitical Consequences Of Illicit Transfers And Illegal Weapons
- We may also see collaborations between state-sponsored gangs, pooling resources for more devastating attacks.
- To mitigate risks and secure against the potential fallout, businesses need to adopt a multi-faceted approach, combining robust cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and vigilant monitoring to adapt to the evolving threat landscape.
- In its simplest permutation, when supply is high and demand is low, the price will generally be low, all other things being equal; conversely, when demand is high and supply is low, the price will increase.
- The marketplace discontinued its operations in late 2023 following reports of service disruptions and exit scams after one of its developers allegedly went rogue in what was characterized by one of the administrators as a “shameful and disgruntled set of events.”
- From there, they were shipped in containers to Italy or Spain—a relatively risk-free operation, as only a tiny percentage of containers ever get opened in customs inspections.
Submitting evidence that was verified by Forbes, Holden was able to withdraw 1.6 Bitcoin ($25,000) and donate it to Ukrainian charity Enjoying Life. Extradition to the United States or other countries is also a possibility, depending on the scope of the investigation and the victims impacted by the forum’s activities. The potential penalties could include lengthy prison sentences and substantial fines. Ransomware gangs are also expected to diversify their tactics, targeting smaller companies and individual users to maximize their reach.
The profile of the buyer is also important, as is the history of the gun and its condition, together with the type and availability of ammunition. Launched in September 2022, Torzon Market operates on the Tor network and features over 11,600 illegal products, including drugs and hacking tools. Torzon offers a premium account option for additional benefits and is valued at approximately $15 million, accepting payments in Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR). Others are looking for stolen data, hacking services, or even banned books and political content.
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“I haven’t seen anything new lately, but the arms that continue to come to Ukraine can now be easily bought. And now Ukraine is becoming one of the central suppliers of weapons on the black market, on the dark market you can buy the weapons that are supplied to Ukraine as part of assistance and support by Western countries,” Pushilin stressed. Snopes readers also asked via email whether Ukraine sold American weapons on the black market or to various militant or criminal groups, including Hamas, Syrian rebel groups and Mexican drug cartels. Keven Hendricks is a 16-year veteran detective with a municipal police department and has served as a task force officer for two separate federal agencies.
Ukraine’s PsyCo follows in the footsteps of a Moscow-based Russian cadre of drug dealers responsible for the Russian Anonymous Marketplace (RAMP). Founded in early 2012, RAMP has survived to become the longest-lasting Dark Net market in the world (although it recently suffered a sustained denial-of-service attack). In the markets of Russia and Ukraine, dead drops have become cheap and quick alternatives to the classic Dark Net tactic of postal smuggling. The first Ukrainian Dark Net market, launched on the eve of the country’s civil war in May 2013, has so far survived the bloody battles and continues to be a recreational pharmacy for thousands of members inside a country struggling to emerge from crisis.
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This encryption ensures that messages cannot be intercepted and read by third parties, including law enforcement. The use of digital signatures can also help verify the authenticity of users and transactions. Established in 2019, Russian Market is a well-known and highly regarded data store on the dark web, specializing in the sale of PII and various forms of stolen data. Despite its name, the marketplace operates primarily in English and serves a global audience.
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In the context of cluster munitions, some fear that Ukrainian usage would cause Russia to escalate to other chemical and larger-impact weapons. There is also fear that, if Russia continues to use chemical weapons, Ukraine may escalate usage as well. Russia also accused Ukraine of using chemical weapons in the eastern Ukrainian towns of Soledar and Bakhmut without any evidence. Additionally, an analysis from the Kyiv Post dismantled Carlson’s claim by examining the types of weapons sent to Ukraine and their likelihood of reaching Mexican cartels. Most military aid in 2024 consisted of artillery systems, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and advanced missile systems (HIMARS and ATACMS)—none of which are practical for cartel use. Claims that NATO weapons and ammunition are being put on sale on the dark web have re-surfaced in recent months, but as other outlets have reported, there is no evidence that any such products have actually made it into the hands of a prospective buyer.
Various cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Monero can be used to make purchases. If you ever decide to explore the dark web, protecting your identity is crucial. Telegram channels supplement traditional onion sites, blurring lines between the dark web sites and more mainstream communication tools. This, according to the acting DPR head, also includes Javelins, which are now simple to find on the dark market. Chainalysis has been researching the various aspects of geography of cryptocurrency use for several years, although the firm admits locating such activity on the globe is a tricky task and such research has its limitations.
What Is The Largest Darknet Market?
Watch our cyber team share their key insights from their investigations into the biggest dark web trends in 2022. By using the blog, you agree that the information on this blog does not constitute legal, financial or any other form of professional advice. No relationship is created with you, nor any duty of care assumed to you, when you use this blog. The blog is not a substitute for obtaining any legal, financial or any other form of professional advice from a suitably qualified and licensed advisor. The information on this blog may be changed without notice and is not guaranteed to be complete, accurate, correct or up-to-date. Elliptic’s internal data confirms that no activity has been tracked in Solaris-affiliated Bitcoin addresses since January 13th.
Could The Whole Marketplace Be A Russian Hoax?
The platform’s popularity continues to grow, attracting both new and returning customers. STYX Market focuses specifically on financial fraud, making it a go-to destination for cybercriminals engaged in this activity. Killnet and Infinity – a dark forum recently launched by Killnet – have been largely silent about the takeover, instead focusing on an apparent Killnet hack of the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Meanwhile, many Kraken-affiliated vendor groups on the WayAway Forum have been vying to recruit former Solaris vendors of illicit goods and services.
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- Trustwave said that cyber activity has become “more destructive and organised”, with Ukrainian government officials calling for individuals to come and “fight on the cyber front” as part of the war effort.
- WizardShop has solidified its status as one of the best data stores in the dark web by providing an impressive quantity of quality data as well as providing a trustworthy, easy to use interface allowing criminals easy and secure buying and selling.
- Solaris users attempting to access the market on January 13th were met with a redirect to Kraken, with a notice announcing that it had successfully taken over Solaris’ cyber infrastructure, GitLab repository and project sources.
- In announcing the arrest of the Frenchman, the security service said its agents had been tracking him for months and allowed him to buy five Kalashnikovs, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 125 kilograms (275 pounds) of explosives, 100 detonators and other arms.
- Uchaikin is advocating changing the laws to make ownership of handguns and Kalashnikovs legal as a way to regulate the market and address gun crime.
Russian state media amplified these claims, with RT running an “investigation” into alleged Western arms sales, despite fact-checkers, including the BBC World Service Disinformation Team, debunking the evidence. In another instance, Russian media misrepresented official oversight measures as proof of illicit activity. A vocal critic of U.S. support for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s unprovoked invasion, Carlson provided no evidence to support his claim.
FAQ – Dark Web Markets 2025 And Cybersecurity
In early 2022, a Russian-led criminal organization operating in Ukraine reportedly stole at least one grenade launcher, a machine gun, and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition to sabotage and destabilize Ukraine’s efforts to secure the region. Although it is difficult to confirm when and where weapons are stolen, the sheer scale of weapon transfers means that it is highly likely that some weapons will go missing over the course of the conflict. “They’re selling it, and a lot of it ends up with the drug cartels on our border,” Carlson said. “Understanding the political antagonisms that exist independent of the dark web helps you understand the way in which the dark web might get used in that nexus. Because if it can amplify, say, cyber attacks or cybercrime between countries, and you have pre-existing tensions, then it makes sense that it would,” says Jardine. Dark markets include features similar to those found in legitimate e-commerce platforms, such as product listings, user reviews, ratings, and customer support.
No Evidence Ukraine Sold US Weapons To Mexican Cartels, Militant Groups
As AI becomes more accessible, hackers may use AI-driven tools to automate data theft on a massive scale. In 2025, state-sponsored actors are expected to continue using the dark web for politically motivated cyberattacks. Countries like Russia, China, and North Korea are suspected of harboring or directly funding these groups. While wars always heighten the risk of arms diversion, Ukraine’s government has put in place such strict control mechanisms that gun-running is extremely limited.
