Two of the largest marketplaces on the dark net are now no more. This week, U.S. and European officials announced they have shut down both AlphaBay and Hansa Market, two of the largest online black markets in the world.
The dark net is a concealed part of the internet that users access via special browsers that conceal their identity and location. Websites like AlphaBay, Hansa Market and their precursor Silk Road take advantage of the anonymity by providing platforms akin to a black market eBay Inc EBAY 0.64% or Craigslist.
The takedown of Hansa Market reportedly involved major covert operations on the part of the Dutch national police, who reported that they have been in control of the site since June and have been gathering information on users and vendors since that time. Incredibly, AlphaBay reportedly had 200,000 users and 40,000 vendors on its platform when it was shut down. Here’s a look at six of the most popular things dark web users were buying.
1. Opioid Drugs
Authorities reported that no less than 122 vendors on AlphaBay were selling fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. Dutch authorities reported that there were more than 1,800 vendors selling drugs of some kind on Hansa Market.
2. Credit Card Numbers
Hackers don’t necessarily max out every credit card number they gain access to. Hackers sell stolen credit card numbers in batches of 100 on the dark web because there’s no way of knowing how many have been cancelled.
3. Fake IDs
Users can by anything from fake driver’s licenses to fake passports and even fake social security cards. These IDs can cost buyers thousands of dollars.
4. College Degrees
Instead of paying thousands of dollars attending college, buyers can get their own framed, sealed college diploma from any college they choose on the dark web for just a couple hundred dollars.
5. Ricin And Other Dangerous Chemicals
Ricin is…
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