Misc Are darknet markets worth it?

[pharaoh]

In light of the recent exit scam/extortion attempt that was being discussed, I wonder how many people have used darknet markets successfully and whether people think they are worth it overall, based on experience.

I remember looking at the first silk road with my friend back on 2011 and for our purposes, it wasn't worth it. If it was around today as it was before DPR the first got taken down then I would use it for certain things but since then, there have been so many exit scams and people getting ripped off by individual vendors that I wonder if it's even worth it.

Have people had experiences getting what they actually ordered? Did this last? Have people been ripped off? Have people used different ones with varying success?

Certain ways of getting certain illegal (but traditionally not policed much) drugs - medicines I would say based on my own needs - seem to be under threat from the state now and so I am considering looking at the darknet out of curiosity really but I don't trust it. I imagine that the best ones are kept fairly well hidden from the public. The first silk road was eventually common knowledge and once it got to the press, the amount of customers went up massively.

Anyway, people's experiences, opinions and so on. My opinion is that they are probably more hassle than they are worth nowadays unless you find one that you have found to be trustworthy.

 

[Kingoffrogs]

If you can navigate the dark web fairly well, can use crypto well, and don't have any option to purchase drugs from a local vendor, then I would say yes.

I haven't ever had a problem with not getting what I ordered/cut product, but that is probably because I've only used DNM's to buy weed.

Most sites will exit scam/ get twacked by the DEA/FBI at some point, but up until that point, they can be incredibly useful. I have found DNM's most useful for getting cheaper prices on weed than I can get from local sellers, and having drugs come to you in the mail is nice too.

However, having drugs mailed to you is a double edged sword. If you have a package searched (ESPECIALLY if you are shipping internationally.) You can get caught up in a case over it. That's why I only ship domestically.


DNM's are pretty much the only place you can get drugs like Mephedrone, Ketamine and others in the USA.

 

[Madness]

If you don't have access in person it might be worth a try.

I remember walking miles to a Bitcoin ATM, reading review after review on vendor, vetting everything out, encrypting address, and at the end of the day I'd say only a couple of the 20 or so packs were something to write home about. I was disappointed more often than not.

This was the Dream market which I believe is no longer? Haven't used TOR for 5 or so years.

Edit - just realized this is Europe forum but should still apply.

 

[pharaoh]

It is still interesting to hear from Americans and people from other parts of the world.

I saw one of those BTC ATMs somewhere, maybe in mainland Europe or maybe London, I'm not sure. This will sound dumb but are you able to convert currency with them? I didn't understand how they work. In the UK you have to basically prove who you are in order to even buy them, although big players will obviously not be using real names or even doing it themselves.

It all seems highly precarious for little reward, at least nowadays. Silk Road 1 seemed transformative at the time, almost "Utopian" but that all fell to shit of course with DPR trying to put out hits and whatnot and being set up by the feds on several different scams lol. It all seems very naive now.

There is a good book which looks into that case and darknet markets generally, as well as the "hitman" myth and a big case around a nonce site that was taken down: 'The Darkest Web' by Eileen Ormsby. Definitely worth a read as she went into it initially supporting Silk Road and the first DPR before finding out what a dickhead he became, trying to order hits and what not. And she ends up going down a rabbit hole, talking to the phoney assassins and looking into a real case in which this guy tried to get his wife killed, spent shit loads of money and ended up getting jailed for a long time. The author actually spoke to people involved in all of his including DPR's right hand man who was convicted in Thailand I think.

Worth a read for sure.

 

[Ismene2]

The darknet is a godsend - 15-20 years ago I coudn't find LSD for love nor money. Now I can pick and choose whatever I want. What's not to love?

 

[Madness]

I saw one of those BTC ATMs somewhere, maybe in mainland Europe or maybe London, I'm not sure. This will sound dumb but are you able to convert currency with them?

Yes, i put cash in, typed in my online crypto "wallet"s 30 or so character code, and it would show up in my online wallet as a fraction a coin. Taking a cut obviously.

I think you can exchange the other way as well? But I don't know anything about it. And I doubt you'd be able to get much cash dispensed.

 

[pharaoh]

Yes, i put cash in, typed in my online crypto "wallet"s 30 or so character code, and it would show up in my online wallet as a fraction a coin. Taking a cut obviously.

I think you can exchange the other way as well? But I don't know anything about it. And I doubt you'd be able to get much cash dispensed.

That's interesting, thanks. I've set up an account to be able to buy it but dunno about hidden costs. An atm would be easier for me just in terms of understanding the mechanics of it. I'm thinking of just buying a small amount and sitting on it. Who knows what it could end up being worth given the ridiculous fluctuations?

 

[Madness]

Yeah.. idk, good luck. But if you're making it an investment I would find a vehicle to buy cryptocurrency that doesn't take such a hefty fee @pharaoh

 

[pharaoh]

The darknet is a godsend - 15-20 years ago I coudn't find LSD for love nor money. Now I can pick and choose whatever I want. What's not to love?

I assumed that it would mostly be useful for things like psychedelics which can be hard to find on the streets or whatever. It's a niche market in the grand scheme of things. In any city in the west you could score a gram of coke in 10 minutes but trying to find acid or even more exotic drugs, especially psychedelics, would be much more difficult.

The only psychedelic dealer I knew (acid, 2cb and stuff) was in it for the love of it, not to be some kind of money making gangster you know? And he disappeared, probably entered another dimension.

 

[pharaoh]

Yeah.. idk, good luck. But if you're making it an investment I would find a vehicle to buy cryptocurrency that doesn't take such a hefty fee @pharaoh

I'm not super serious about it. The one I've been recommended is "mainstream" and the vendor I use said that it could end up costing more than normal bank transfer fees but not by how much or whatever.

 

[Madness]

*deleted my post - just wanted to say there are definitely options / trading platforms**

 

[Snafu in the Void]

used properly, dark net has been the best dealer I've ever had

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

It's always gonna be a gamble with darknet, regular or other means of acquiring a substance.
I really don't think it matters much regarding security I think luck plays a huge part in let's say a dubious transaction even if it is in person.
Just a coupla cents thrown in and taken with a grain of salt may be the best course.
Be careful and safe, yeah?
I get so anxious when placing an order and remain so until I have it in hand.

 

[smokeymcpot42088]

It is still interesting to hear from Americans and people from other parts of the world.

I saw one of those BTC ATMs somewhere, maybe in mainland Europe or maybe London, I'm not sure. This will sound dumb but are you able to convert currency with them? I didn't understand how they work. In the UK you have to basically prove who you are in order to even buy them, although big players will obviously not be using real names or even doing it themselves.

It all seems highly precarious for little reward, at least nowadays. Silk Road 1 seemed transformative at the time, almost "Utopian" but that all fell to shit of course with DPR trying to put out hits and whatnot and being set up by the feds on several different scams lol. It all seems very naive now.

There is a good book which looks into that case and darknet markets generally, as well as the "hitman" myth and a big case around a nonce site that was taken down: 'The Darkest Web' by Eileen Ormsby. Definitely worth a read as she went into it initially supporting Silk Road and the first DPR before finding out what a dickhead he became, trying to order hits and what not. And she ends up going down a rabbit hole, talking to the phoney assassins and looking into a real case in which this guy tried to get his wife killed, spent shit loads of money and ended up getting jailed for a long time. The author actually spoke to people involved in all of his including DPR's right hand man who was convicted in Thailand I think.

Worth a read for sure.

Yes, I think only currency from a CC or whatever but yes! There is a bodega that has one of these bitcoin atms near my house and I am always tempted to use it but it seems like a papertrail heavy way to go, plus I think my systems hacked (though I may try like a 50 dollar run just to see if it disappears).....I figure you dump em into your wallet than move them to a private wallet and do what you want with them from there. But I only know how this works in theory. I have read ALOT about it and still basically dont understand

 

[fairnymph]

They are a godsend, especially if you live in a rural area. So many things available on there that you can’t get easily or ever in person and generally what’s available on there is better quality and cheaper too. But you want to use XMR, not BTC. The latter has a big fee and transactions are traceable.

The most frustrating part is the sites regularly going down, and trying various vendors before you find reliable ones with good products - but that’s no different than on the street. I recommend always getting tracked shipping, ideally with DHL or such. Untracked via regular post doesn’t arrive at least 60% of the time, at least here in Germany.

 

[smokeymcpot42088]

oh shite BTC is traceable now? I kinda thought that was the whole point. Before that in the golden times (for me they were lol) the clearnet came through stateside 100 percent of the time. Than 0. Damn triads. oh no damn them to pinky-less hell. (probably just a rumor if not just some shit talk but its fun to pretend)

thank you fairynymph. That BTC machine just lost all interest. Im just gunna ask, do I have to do all new research for xmr or is it basically the same thing.

 

[Madness]

I believe I sent it to a second address and more or less washed it of the tracing from ATM? I could have just a faulty memory but I might have done something like that because I remember changing the fee on the transfer

 

[lecroute]

Reading all this out of curiosity, not because I actually want/need to use dark markets. I understood only half of what you guys are talking about, and I never got even Tor to run. I know you can't explain all this to me here. But how would one go about learning the basics? Like some Dark Markets 101 video or something?
Again: Just to have a basic idea and be able to understand conversatios like this one.

 

[Madness]

Reading all this out of curiosity, not because I actually want/need to use dark markets. I understood only half of what you guys are talking about, and I never got even Tor to run. I know you can't explain all this to me here. But how would one go about learning the basics? Like some Dark Markets 101 video or something?
Again: Just to have a basic idea and be able to understand conversatios like this one.

Took me a lot of research to find a detailed and understandable guide. Cross referencing. Wouldn't be able to find it now in a reasonable time. Basically the more information the better, so with risky things like this I wouldn't do anything you're not comfortable doing.

 

[emkee_reinvented]

Yes, i put cash in, typed in my online crypto "wallet"s 30 or so character code, and it would show up in my online wallet as a fraction a coin. Taking a cut obviously.

I think you can exchange the other way as well? But I don't know anything about it. And I doubt you'd be able to get much cash dispensed.

What if your crypto's are on a official site. This year its included as part of your capital? So my bitbank informs the tax.

If you transfer your Crypto from the account on the wallet, what then? I know in NL. you can buy Weed with a walllet, illegal but very openly advertised. You don't need TOR, afaik. So on a wallet do the coins become untraceable/ anonymous again? Just wondering as I never will DNM, even with our splended grey market RC's I have to be very strickt (ATM) that and Alcohol. Addictive personality.

But weed in the mail, that is a tight plan.

'As a result, all BTC transactions made can be traced back down the blockchain, and specific wallet addresses can be monitored. This means that a wallet suspected of illegal activity can be blacklisted. Moreover, all other wallets that interact with it can then also be put under surveillance.'

Relating to the XMR or Moreno , fairnymph