It has managed to thrive for over a decade in the often controversial field of software cracking, due to the proactively of its admin team. Because the forum has remained loyal to its offering, it has established a loyal following, making it a prominent Chinese platform for discussions on hacking-related topics. By operating an official Telegram channel which is used to increase user engagement and share updates, it has quickly established a reputation as a reliable source within the dark web community.
Primary Risks And Dangers Of Using Dark-Web Marketplaces
Abacus Market quickly rose to prominence by attracting former AlphaBay users and providing a comprehensive platform for a wide range of illicit activities. Cluster 3 thematic focus is Machine learning, Social media, and Artificial intelligence related to the Darkweb. Machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques can analyze large amounts of social media data to identify patterns and trends related to the illicit drug trade and drug trafficking in the Darkweb.
US Government Shared Services
“Criminals will always adapt, in the same way governments do,” says Maria Nizzero, a financial crime researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Even Mexican and Colombian drug cartels, who previously kept such activities “in house”, are now using Chinese launderers to service their empires, US lawmakers heard last month. The Italian football referee, who has been accused of moonlighting as a drug trafficker known as “Rambo”, was there to meet a Chinese money launderer who could help him pay suppliers in Spain for a shipment of hashish, prosecutors claim. The market faces challenges such as high initial capital investment, maintenance costs, and complex regulatory environments that can impact growth. Elliptic concluded that if you want to disrupt this ecosystem, it’s going to take a lot more than a couple of channel bans. I mean, Huione Guarantee’s fall knocked out just one node, but the dark market structure?
This report analyzes the structure of internet sources used by Chinese-speaking threat actors to facilitate cybercriminal activities. It focuses specifically on advertisements, posts, and interactions on Chinese-language dark web marketplaces and cybercrime-related Telegram channels. It also takes into consideration the effect of Chinese laws and regulations on data security and cybercrime in China.
- I mean, Huione Guarantee’s fall knocked out just one node, but the dark market structure?
- The increasing demand for fully automated, round the clock manufacturing systems is encouraging U.S. based industries to invest in industrial robotics, AI, and IoT-powered solutions.
- Nonetheless, PII data (of both Chinese nationals and international entities) is still being widely compromised and sold on dark web marketplaces, special-access forums, and Telegram channels.
- The types of information involved include biometric identification, religious beliefs, PII, medical care, financial accounts, individual whereabouts, and other information, as well as the personal information of minors under the age of 14.
- Dark-web marketplaces often attract attention due to their association with illicit activities; however, these platforms also serve legitimate purposes that align closely with principles of online privacy and freedom of information.
Telegram channels supplement traditional onion sites, blurring lines between the dark web sites and more mainstream communication tools. Indeed, it was part of the troubling and disquieting normalization of the business. From prominent businessmen to high-ranking government officials to university students, the overwhelming sensation we got during this journey was one of widespread acceptance and pride that China was providing the world with much-needed chemicals. It is part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and has gained international recognition for its contributions to scientific research and innovation.
Explicit And Illegal Content
Marketplaces that maintain strict moderation policies—banning excessively harmful or exploitative products—also gain popularity among more ethically minded users. Major drug markets in the Dark Web are now worth around $315 million annually according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). We also routinely track dark web markets for additional risk factors, such as the trade in fentanyl and firearms.
History Of Dark Web Marketplaces
In June 2022, the Financial Times reported that crypto swindlers preyed on ethnic Chinese women looking for love, in scams where fraudsters establish online romances before duping victims of their life savings. Fraudulent actors will usually create fake websites that mimic the names of real exchanges, such as “KrakenCoin” and “Coinbase CCY”. These websites have 24/7 online customer service and charts showing live coin price fluctuations, and would initially allow the unsuspecting women to withdraw some assets into fiat currency, duping them into trusting the platform. This type of scam is also known as a pig butchering scam, which affects both males and females. In August 2022, the CIO of Economic Times reported that Chinese digital loan apps were utilizing a loophole in regulatory guidelines to dupe Indian clients by partnering with existing non-banking financial companies (NBFC).
Darkweb Research: Past, Present, And Future Trends And Mapping To Sustainable Development Goals
They enable travelers to witness events from multiple perspectives, making the stories of these sites even more impactful. All of that means Telegram’s takedowns are by no means the end of the crypto-scam industry, says Robinson. They may, however, represent a serious setback for the markets that cash out its profits and launder its money. While Haowang Guarantee responded to Telegram’s bans by almost immediately shutting down, Xinbi Guarantee appears to be making an effort to relaunch itself on new Telegram channels, Robinson says. Elliptic says that Haowang Guarantee’s owners also own a stake in another similar Telegram-based market called Tudou Guarantee, according to a Telegram post from one of Haowang’s administrators, and they may seek to rebuild their business there.
Illegal Activities Endure On China’s Dark Web Despite Strict Internet Control
On the next page, we could see the product, a coupon code, the option to use a gift certificate, the shipping estimate, and the estimated tax. However, during field work in Sinaloa, one clandestine producer said he had purchased such a kit for the production of fentanyl from a China-based vendor. What’s more, some of these companies had ventured beyond the mere trade in chemical precursors, extending their operations into teaching consumers how to synthesize fentanyl and other synthetic drugs. In fact, a few offered detailed recipes and instructions as part of their sales pitches.
Darknet Markets – Dark Web Links
They recognized that despite these companies not being multinational giants or state-owned behemoths, they presented a viable means of livelihood. But like the jewelry shop owner we had met at the onset of this investigation, they ignored our questions. Throughout, the businessmen exhibited a certain level of detachment from the nitty-gritty details of their enterprises. In fact, they asserted their companies were just part of a set of diverse businesses, which included casinos and prostitution in China, and the sale of cheap, Chinese-manufactured goods abroad.
In addition, advancements in robotics technology, such as collaborative robots, AI-driven automation, and adaptive robotics, are expanding the application scope of dark factories. These innovations support greater flexibility in production lines and enable rapid adaptation to changing product demands, thereby driving the growth of the IIoT segment within the dark factories industry. Dark web markets have exploded in scale and reach in 2025, becoming the most dangerous hubs for trading drugs, stolen data, and hacking tools.
Tor remains the most prevalent method due to its ease of use and robust anonymity features, but the popularity of I2P is steadily growing due to its increased resistance to surveillance and censorship. Arda is the Lead Crypto Threat Researcher (APAC) at Elliptic and an Assistant Professor of Crypto & Future Crimes at City University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on crimes enabled by cryptoassets and emerging technologies, including fraud, money laundering, terrorist financing and illicit activity on the dark web.
Competitive Analysis
The Silk Road was a famous dark web marketplace where users could buy and sell goods and services anonymously. All the payments were made through cryptocurrency, further enhancing marketplace anonymity. The users on this site can review and rate the products that promote reliable and fraudster vendors. Still, even with these crackdowns and better defenses, dark web markets just keep coming back. As long as people want to buy and sell illegal stuff online, be it stolen data, narcotics, drugs, or malware, these markets will keep resurfacing, no matter how many times authorities take them down.
Vice City listens to the problems faced by its customers and vendors and solves them so that they can keep using the platform with ease. To access the marketplace, dark web users must register first and pass the CAPTCHA test to prove they are human. In August 2022, the CAC ordered the removal of 12,000 crypto-related websites and social media accounts for promoting cryptocurrencies. Social media accounts from multiple platforms including Weibo, Baidu, and WeChat were shut down, along with 105 websites that promoted and ran tutorials on buying, selling, and mining digital assets. The Financial Regulatory Bureau of Shenzhen warned in June 2022 that cryptocurrency bred criminal activities and disrupted financial order, and cautioned investors against participating in illegal financial activities and potentially being scammed. We examined some of the more unique frauds perpetrated by Chinese threat actors and identified that in almost all cases there were novel ways to utilize PII data that were sold and circulated on cybercriminal sources.
That was because the Chinese chemicals in question are the chemical precursors for fentanyl, among many other synthetic drugs. Those ingredients are sold in large quantities from China to criminal operators in places like Mexico, where fentanyl is produced clandestinely in massive amounts. It is then laced into counterfeit pills or kept in powdered form, before being trafficked in considerable quantities north to the United States, where tens of thousands of people overdose on the drug per year. SpyCloud, a cyber security firm, reported that the services running their operations on Telegram openly sell the private information collected from government agencies. According to WIRED’s report, operations hire insiders within surveillance agencies and other private contractors who offer huge financial rewards. Chinese netizens joined people around the world in marvelling that an American journalist could be accidentally invited into a private group chat with senior American national-security officials.
