Tag: darknet

Sketchy darknet websites are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic – buyer beware
COVID-19, TECHNOLOGY

Sketchy darknet websites are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic – buyer beware

Underground markets that sell illegal commodities like drugs, counterfeit currency and fake documentation tend to flourish in times of crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. The online underground economy has responded to the current crisis by exploiting demand for COVID-19-related commodities. Today, some of the most vibrant underground economies exist in darknet markets. These are internet websites that look like ordinary e-commerce websites but are accessible only using special browsers or authorization codes. Vendors of illegal commodities have also formed dedicated group-chats and channels on encrypted instant messaging services like WhatsApp, Telegram and ICQ. The Darknet Analysis project at the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group here at Georgia State Universit...
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Texas Man Sentenced to 58 Months for Darknet Fraud Scheme

A man from Texas was sentenced to 58 months in prison for stealing over 1,200 credit and debit card numbers. Odis Edwards, 40, used financial data obtained from the dark web to book hotel rooms around the Dallas area. Hotel staff first reached out to police after observing suspicious behavior from Edwards and his co-conspirators. More than $250,000 was spent for booking the rooms, some of which were sub-rented to pimps and drug dealers at a fraction of the original cost. The Police Raid Hotel staff noticed notified police that several large service bills were piling up, all charged to Edwards’ account. Police then raided the booked rooms, where they found notebooks with what appeared to be numbers from credit cards, altered credit cards and URLs of credit card generators. The raid res...
Journalism, VIDEO REELS

Detroit Rapper Arrested for Alleged Darknet Fraud Activities

Rap verses are frequently brought in as “proof” in U.S. courts, with artists confronting discipline for their public portrayal and choice of lyrics. In the case of a rapper from Detroit, his online presence shows that the fraudulent activity he was depicting appears very genuine, at least according to prosecutors. Reports from Detroit News claim that the 25-year-old rapper known by the name Selfmade Kash, whose real name is Jonathan Woods, has been indicted on charges of identity theft, wire fraud and possession of unauthorized devices. He allegedly shared his fraud expertise with others, teaching them how to use the dark web to search for stolen BINs (bank identification numbers). Selfmade Kash alluded to himself as the “Swipe God,” and has every now and again gloated about credit car...
LAW ENFORCEMENT

Romanian Police Officer Accused of Darknet Drug Trafficking

A 37-year-old Romanian police officer was arrested after he attempted to pick up a drug package he had ordered over the dark web from Belgium. The police officer is accused of importing ‘high-risk’ drugs into Romania from the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. The officer was arrested together with his girlfriend, with whom he allegedly engaged in cultivating cannabis which they sold on a wholesale basis. According to a statement by the Department for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), the 37-year-old Deputy Agent who was the head of Răducăneni police station, Christian Danu, and his girlfriend, Diana Lacramioara Muntean, allegedly engaged in the consumption and trafficking of drugs acquired through the darknet. Danu, in particular, is accused of trafficking MDMA, ecs...
IN OTHER NEWS

Darknet Murder-For-Hire Suspect Remains Under GPS Monitoring Program

Tina Jones, who was arrested for attempting to hire a hitman to murder a woman alleged to of had an affair with her husband, has hit the headlines once more. This time, George Bakalis, , the DuPage County Judge, ordered the suspect to remain with the GPS monitoring device she has been wearing after she was given the conditions of bail. Jones has been living with her parents in Georgia with the strict condition not to leave the county unless attending the court hearings in Illinois. The bail terms also order her not to be in Illinois for more than twenty-four hours. This was in accordance with the conditions set to monitor her whereabouts as she awaits her final hearing and sentencing. The federal court charged the suspect with four counts for conspiring murder for hire. She was also char...