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AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

justice.gov

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Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#61

Post by Miner49er »

djmobley wrote: post #57
Miner49er wrote: post #12

"'The so-called anonymity of the dark web is illusory,' said Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg of the DEA." I wonder if this is true, or simply hyperbole. I'm extremely curios on the technical details of this bust. Edit: It appears that some info can be found here https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/982821/downlo... . Look at the section "Alexandre Cazes: Alphabay's Founder and Operator" It looks like t…

He seemed to be pretty careless about flaunting his wealth. These forum postings are referenced in the forfeiture complaint (NSFW): https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https:... Interestingly, the forum owner posted last week claiming he had suddenly passed away: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:https:...

Not sure why you use the word "claiming" - he has passed away.

Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#62

Post by alasdair_ »

eugeneionesco wrote: post #48
cody8295 wrote: post #9

Condolences to any users/vendors who lost coin because of the takedown. Anybody have info on how the admin was found? Was the method of DDoSing Tor nodes used to force traffic into honeypot'd Tor nodes?

Yeah man, those poor poor vendors who make money on addicted users...

The single most highly traded item in terms of volume on most of these markets is pot, then non-addictive (but still potentially dangerous) drugs like MDMA.

The number of hardcore opioid addicts that have a laptop, internet connection, knowledge of bitcoin, someone to convert cash into a bitcoin balance, a tor installation, a good address to pick up from and a willingness to wait a week to get their fix delivered is likely fairly small.

Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#63

Post by alasdair_ »

lawn wrote: post #39
pero wrote: post #19

Blockchain analysis investment perhaps delivering some ROI. http://www.sandia.gov/news/publications/labnews/articles/201... https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/7xz35e/us-law-enf...

DN users should really start using Monero instead of Bitcoin.

11,993 Monero were part of the seized assets.

Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#64

Post by akilism »

colecut wrote: post #35
anoonmoose wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, you say that, but after having oink go down on me, and more recently what, I've given up on pirating music, and I have to imagine others have done the same. You might be right about the next one being harder to shut down, maybe, but I would also expect the next one to be smaller because of the changing climate. Edit: I mean, yeah, $10/mo for unlimited streaming was a factor. There are comparisons to the drug…

The ability to stream nearly any music you want for $10/month through multiple services has probably done more for decreasing audio piracy than shutting down torrent sites.

exactly.

Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#65

Post by hackerboos »

siliconc0w wrote: post #45

You have to think eventually the criminals will evolve proper OPSEC - there is simply too much money to be made. Also, you really should be living in a place with no extradition - Thai police picking you up is a bad place to be. Vietnam is close by and has no extradition - a much better choice for aspiring criminals.

Not having an extradition treaty doesn't mean you won't be deported.

Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#66

Post by hackerboos »

dylz wrote: post #56
karzeem wrote: post #8

Any more info out there on the technical details of the bust?

https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/982821/downlo... It is so sad. Literally had a paypal with the same hotmail address he sent welcome emails with? WTF?

AB didn't send emails. At least not in the last 12 months.

Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#67

Post by blubb-fish »

rmwaite wrote: post #2

Don't these people know that they will never kill this. Just like Napster's death, and oink, and what, and so on. Every time they shut one of these down the next one will be harder to shut down.

maybe that's the point - somehow also those people have to justify their paycheck until they retire.

Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#68

Post by AlphaWeaver »

zitterbewegung wrote: post #16
Miner49er wrote: post #12

"'The so-called anonymity of the dark web is illusory,' said Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenberg of the DEA." I wonder if this is true, or simply hyperbole. I'm extremely curios on the technical details of this bust. Edit: It appears that some info can be found here https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/982821/downlo... . Look at the section "Alexandre Cazes: Alphabay's Founder and Operator" It looks like t…

Dread Pirate Roberts was brought down by OPSEC using basic investigation skills (correlations between one online profile and his website from stackexchange and a security flaw on his hidden service website). I think its probably just good investigating this time. See https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/10/how-the-feds-too... for more information about dread pirate Roberts.

The WIRED story about the fall of DPR, although I don't have it currently, spins the story as a two part epic- really good read.

Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#69

Post by s73ver »

xj9 wrote: post #51
s73ver wrote: post #28

Or, you know, just don't do illicit things.

sure, but what is actually wrong with drug use? moral outrage? the sign of a decaying society? untold secondary consequences? the problem is, people use drugs a lot. the war on drugs hasn't changed that in the least. we may have social issues, but as a "relatively upstanding and taxpaying citizen" who also happens to enjoy certain drugs on occasion, i ask. how exactly is my drug use impairing my ability to function i…

"sure, but what is actually wrong with drug use?"

I don't care; that's not what's being debated here. The fact of the matter is, it's illegal, and anyone who sets up a drug marketplace today knows that. They set it up with full knowledge that they are breaking the law. If they wish to campaign to have drug laws reworked, I'm all for that and wish them the best of luck. But they're not doing that; they're setting up a marketplace with the intentions of making lots of money. They're not fighting for freedom or anything like that; they're just trying to make a quick buck.

And please don't respond with any kind of false equivalence bs. Getting high is not any kind of civil rights struggle. It's nice, but that's it. It is absolutely nothing like civil rights struggles of the past, and comparing it to such events is an extreme disrespect to those struggles and those who went through them.

Re: AlphaBay, the Largest Online 'Dark Market,' Shut Down

#70

Post by xj9 »

s73ver wrote: post #69
xj9 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

sure, but what is actually wrong with drug use? moral outrage? the sign of a decaying society? untold secondary consequences? the problem is, people use drugs a lot. the war on drugs hasn't changed that in the least. we may have social issues, but as a "relatively upstanding and taxpaying citizen" who also happens to enjoy certain drugs on occasion, i ask. how exactly is my drug use impairing my ability to function i…

"sure, but what is actually wrong with drug use?" I don't care; that's not what's being debated here. The fact of the matter is, it's illegal, and anyone who sets up a drug marketplace today knows that. They set it up with full knowledge that they are breaking the law. If they wish to campaign to have drug laws reworked, I'm all for that and wish them the best of luck. But they're not doing that; they're setting up a…

i don't see the point in respecting a law that i don't agree with
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