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After Exit Scam, Incognito Darknet Market Operators Now Threaten User Data Leak in Extortion Twist
12.3.2024
Numerous accounts have recently revealed that shortly after the darknet market (DNM) Incognito apparently conducted an ‘exit scam,’ its operators have now informed their clients and merchants they are facing extortion. The team behind Incognito claims possession of crypto asset...
Ransomware and Darknet Markets Top List For Most Prominent Crypto Crimes
25.1.2024
A new report from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis found that crypto related crimes decreased in 2023. While notable, findings also show that ransomware and darknet market activity involving cryptocurrency increased considerably. Eric Jardine, cybercrime research lead for Chainalysis, told...
Dormant $144M in Bitcoin From Defunct Abraxas Darknet Market Moved After Years of Inactivity
23.10.2023
According to the onchain analyst Zachxbt, 4,800 bitcoins taken from the now-defunct darknet marketplace Abraxas were transferred to a bitcoin mixing service. Abraxas exit scammed in November 2015 after less than a year, and the bitcoins had remained untouched since then. $144M in Bitcoin from 2015...
BTC Valued at $144M Sent to Coin Mixer From Defunct Darknet Market After Eight-Year Wait
23.10.2023
An entity has moved 4,800 BTC ($144M) to a coin mixer from a wallet tied to defunct darknet marketplace Abraxas, which closed in 2015
Alleged Admin of Darknet Marketplace Monopoly Market Extradited to US
29.6.2023
The suspected administrator of the Monopoly Market darknet marketplace has been extradited from Austria to face charges in the U.S. The man, a citizen of Serbia and Croatia who was arrested in Vienna last November, has been accused of facilitating $18 million in illegal drug transactions using...
Darknet Market Solaris Hacked by Competitor, Elliptic Reveals
22.1.2023
A leading marketplace on the dark web, Solaris, has been hit by a rival, according to crypto analytics company Elliptic. The Russia-linked platform, which tried to occupy space vacated by the busted Hydra, is believed to have conquered up to a fifth of the illicit market before the hack. Solaris...
Bitzlato Exchange Busted as US Deals ‘Blow to Crypto Crime,’ Arrests Owner
19.1.2023
Cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato, better known to the Russian-speaking segment of the market, has been taken down as part of an “international cryptocurrency enforcement action,” the U.S. Justice Department announced. The Russian owner of the platform has been arrested for his role...
Darknet Forum Dread to Relaunch After Month-Long Downtime Due to DDOS Attack
6.1.2023
According to web portal darkdot.com and anonymous journalist Darkdotfail, the popular darknet forum Dread has been down for a month. The well-known forum, which was a place for darknet market (DNM) patrons to discuss operations security, rate specific vendors, and talk about stealth delivery ideas...
Ukrainian Steals Bitcoin From Russian Darknet Market, Donates to Charity
26.12.2022
A Ukrainian living in the U.S. has reportedly hacked a major drug market on the Russian dark web, diverting some of its crypto proceeds. The man says he donated the digital cash stolen from the illicit website to an organization delivering humanitarian aid across his war-torn homeland. Wisconsin...
Crypto scams fall 65% after gullible noobs exit the market: Chainalysis
17.8.2022
Less gullible retail investors and falling asset prices have made scamming a less enticing endeavor, but the tsunami of new DeFi applications has hackers licking their lips
Alleged Hydra Administrator Refuses to Provide Access to His Crypto Wallet, Report Claims
1.6.2022
A Moscow court has ordered the seizure of the crypto wallet of one of the alleged administrators of darknet market Hydra. Media reports reveal, however, that the man — who was arrested in Russia in mid-April — is refusing to share access to his presumed crypto stash with Russian...
Alleged Hydra Administrator Dmitry Pavlov Reportedly Arrested In Russia
16.4.2022
A district court in Moscow has arrested a man whom local media reports identify as Dmitry Pavlov, alleged administrator of the recently shut down darknet market Hydra. Russian authorities believe he has been involved in drug-related crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Moscow Court Arrests...
US sanctions Russia's largest darknet market and crypto exchange Garantex
5.4.2022
The sanctions were part of an international effort aimed at “[disrupting the] proliferation of malicious cybercrime services, dangerous drugs and other illegal offerings.”
Germany Shuts Down Hydra Market, Seizes Servers and Bitcoin
5.4.2022
Law enforcement agencies in Germany have targeted Hydra, a leading darknet market (DNM). As part of an operation conducted with U.S. support, the German police were able to establish control over the servers of the Russian-language platform in the country and take down its website. Investigators...
German Authorities Shut Down Russian Darknet Market, Seize $25M in Bitcoin
5.4.2022
The marketplace's bitcoin privacy mixer complicated the investigation, police said
‘Ecstasy Kingpin’ From Brockton Forfeits $2.3M in Bitcoin to Massachusetts Law Enforcement
14.3.2022
A man from Brockton, Massachusetts was sentenced to eight years in prison and forced to forfeit 59 bitcoin worth $2.3 million, after he was caught selling Xanax, ecstasy, and ketamine on the deep web. Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins stressed during the announcement that the government...
Chainalysis Study Shows ‘Criminal Whales’ Hold $25B in Digital Assets, Entities Represent 3.7% of All Crypto Whales
24.2.2022
According to research published by Chainalysis, criminal entities hold more than $25 billion in cryptocurrencies. The blockchain intelligence firm’s study shows that there was a significant increase in crypto balances held by criminals in 2021 as the metric jumped by 266% since the year...
Russian Government to Track Crypto Transactions With Help From Anti-Drug Organization
4.11.2021
Russian institutions have responded to a call from а public movement for joint efforts to identify cryptocurrency transfers related to drug trade. The anti-drug organization, Stopnarkotik, recently asked the interior ministry and the central bank to investigate alleged connections between...
Silk Road 2 Admin Forfeits $667,000 in Bitcoin to British Law Enforcement
3.11.2021
According to reports, the founder of the now-defunct Silk Road 2 marketplace has forfeited more than half-billion dollars worth of bitcoin to British authorities. White’s Silk Road 2 admin handle was called “Cthulhu,” and he also dubbed himself as “DPR2.” Silk...
Deep Web Confusion: Ostensible Alphabay Admin ‘Desnake’ Claims the Darknet Market Has Returned
14.10.2021
In mid-July 2017, the largest darknet marketplace (DNM) Alphabay went dark and patrons didn’t know if the administrators were busted by law enforcement or if it was an exit scam. Not too long after the site went dark, law enforcement disclosed that an organized police task force, from...