What you’re looking for can’t be found on the internet - at least the internet you
know.
Step right this way, into these doors - and welcome to the Dark Web.
What is this mysterious place where anything can happen?
You’re about to find out.
Here are the fifty most insane facts about the dark web.
#50.
Does It Actually Exist?
If you’re starting your dark web journey by typing in “how to find the dark web”
on Google, you’re likely to be disappointed.
The darkest corners of the internet trade in some pretty illegal stuff, so no one who
goes searching for it will find it easily - including law enforcement.
So if you’re going looking for this hidden network of markets and illegal sites, you
should probably know someone who’s in the know.
Think of it as an old-school speakeasy - if you want to get in, you’d better know the
password.
And have the right equipment.
#49.
HOW Do You Get In?
None of the sites making up the Dark Web can be accessed through a standard browser, because
Big Brother is watching.
Instead, Dark Web users communicate through small friend-to-friend peer-to-peer networks
that let them communicate anonymously, as well as anonymous networks like Tor, Freenet,
I2P, and Riffle.
These censorship-free systems are undetectable by law enforcement - mostly - and most can
be installed on a normal computer for little to no money.
But the name may not be to everyone’s tastes.
#48.
Mmm...Onion Rings?
Wait, what do onions have to do with this?
Maybe when you’re done satisfying your craving at Burger King, you can protect your cybersecurity.
Anonymous communication is often called onion routing because after your message is sent
off, it’s coated in layers of encryption, making it impossible to read if anyone hacks
it.
With each router it goes through, it has one level of encryption peeled away until it arrives
at its destination in its original form - although the original sender remains anonymous as long
as they want to be.
And the same goes for the funding.
#47.
Got Two Bits?
If you want to buy something on the dark web, you probably won’t be paying in cash - after
all, you won’t be meeting anyone in person.
And credit cards probably aren’t the best idea either, as they can easily be traced.
So that leaves one common source of payment on the dark web - cryptocurrency.
Tokens made of data, their most popular version is Bitcoin, but don’t be surprised if some
dark web sites want more rare currency that’s even lower on the feds’ radar than the big
gun.
And while the feds might know that you bought crypto, the encryption makes it very difficult
for them to find what you spent it on.
But the dark web might be smaller than you think.
#46.
Welcome to the Bazaar
The dark web is mysterious, imposing, and hard to get to - but it might be less difficult
to get around than you expected.
That’s because many of them have been taken down by law enforcement, but it’s estimated
that there are only around fifty-five thousand sites using the .onion domain.
However, only 8,400 of those are active, and most are seemingly benign.
As for the sites that actually engage in illegal activity?
It seems to be a high percentage - as many as 68% - but no one knows which will be taken
down next.
In fact, no site on the Dark Web is ever truly safe.
#45.
Even Goliaths Fall
It was the original online black market, and the first true Dark Web market, and Silk Road
was powerful.
Using bitcoin as its method of trade, Silk Road was run on the Tor router and primarily
specialized in selling illegal drugs.
It charged people to start accounts, and had over a hundred thousand users at its high.
And in 2013, it all came crashing down.
The government shut down the site, seized over a billion dollars in Bitcoin, and arrested
its founder on charges relating to the massive sale of illegal drugs.
But that’s not the only thing you can buy on the Dark Web.
#44.
It’s Free Money
You know how annoying it is when you get a security alert on your credit card and you
have to cancel the card?
There’s a decent chance your card just wound up on the dark web.
Stolen credit card numbers are some of the hottest items on the black market auctions,
but they’re not worth much if they get cancelled.
That’s why these auctions are usually sold in batches of one hundred - some are bound
to still work before they get cancelled.
Think of it as a collection of scratch-off tickets, if they were wildly illegal.
But some information is even more personal.
#43.
Social Insecurity
Another prominent item sold on the dark web?
Social security numbers.
Identity theft is pretty common, but there’s one particular item that everyone wants - any
social security number belonging to someone with a credit score above 750.
This can be invaluable for getting an expensive loan, and it often takes a lot longer to figure
out that a social security number has been stolen than a credit card.
Of course, if someone gets caught, the penalties for identity theft are much higher too.
But what if your tastes in stolen goods are a little...safer?
#42.
Hot Entertainment
Stolen credit cards are big business on the dark web, but some of them are used before
they ever go up for auction.
That’s the case for the offer of a lifetime Netflix subscription paid for with stolen
credit cards.
All the risk falls on the person holding the credit cards, and you just sit back and enjoy
all the content.
Of course, if something goes wrong with the source of the cards, you can’t exactly contact
customer service - and is the monthly subscription fee really worth the bitcoin?
And this next entry takes extreme couponing to a new level.
#41.
Half Off, Today Only
Have you ever been behind that woman in line at the grocery store rummaging through her
purse for coupons?
She might be a notorious cyber criminal.
One popular low-level scheme on the dark web is to sell ultra-realistic copied coupons
for common grocery items that work for ninety days.
Some of these are even made to order, allowing people to get discounts on their favorite
foods.
That’s a lot of work for fifty cents off Frosted Flakes.
And another common grocery store label is available too.
#40.
Try Your Luck
Want to see if you can double your bitcoin?
Just like the grocery store lets you sink your money into low-stakes and high-stakes
lotteries, there’s a bitcoin lottery too.
It works just the same as the real thing, except for the fact that it can only be purchased
in cryptocurrency.
Also, if you hit the jackpot, you don’t get a giant novelty check to show off - and
your cousin who is always broke doesn’t see you on the news.
That may be a plus.
But if you have more illegal plans, the Dark Web is there for you.
#39.
The Nth Degree
Looking to get a high-paying, high-level job, but there’s just one problem - you flunked
out?
With some bitcoin on the dark web, you could easily become a high ranking ivy league student.
This isn’t a new scam - fake college degrees have been available for years online to be
printed out, but they’ve now moved to a new platform.
Getting fake college transcripts for a background check is trickier, but has been offered.
Will this pass the smell test for your would-be employer, or will it just be a conversation
piece on the wall?
That’s not the seller’s problem.
And if you want to pull off the perfect crime, you might need the perfect gear.
#38.
Mask Up
Masks are everywhere right now, but none like these.
Bank robbers have been using halloween masks to disguise their identity for a long time,
but those in the know manage to get their hands on ones that provide complete anonymity.
These realistic silicone masks are a much closer fit, create a realistic skin tone,
and even make it easy for a bank robber to essentially change race and throw the police
off the trail if they escape.
Many areas have made these masks illegal as a security risk - which means there’s only
one place to go.
You might even be able to get some gear that can’t be found anywhere else.
#37.
Lights Out
One dark web site in China had a unique electronic device available - claiming to be able to
add credits to electronic slot machines to allow unlimited play!
Jackpot!
But the device actually seemed to be a lot more powerful than that.
It worked as a portable EMP generator, one that was powerful enough to fry any electronic
device within its vicinity.
In criminal hands, it could be used to sabotage ATMs and other money-filled devices.
In darker hands, it could be used to create a disaster or shut down parts of a city.
Let’s hope it was taken off the market.
But the Dark Web isn’t all bad.
It might even get you a new friend.
#36.
Wild Web
As Netflix’s Tiger King swept the internet, many people wondered - how do I start my own
tiger zoo?
The show probably should have talked them out of that, but the dark web is there for
their worst instincts.
Illegal wildlife trade has been big on the dark web since at least 2015, with listings
for crocodiles, big cats, baby gorillas, and other animals.
And if some users prefer their animals less...lively, they can also buy illegal animal products
including bear paws, african ivory, and even dog meat.
But the Dark Web has a lot of uses besides illegal trade.
#35.
Dark News
The dark web has become a haven for people looking to get away from corporate-driven
news, believing they have a partisan bias and use too much spin.
That led to some dark web users creating a new news aggregate site called Soylent News.
It’s controlled by the users, filled with news items from around the world, and has
a public discussion forum.
And hey, if a crackdown is going to start on dark web markets, maybe you’ll find out
here first.
But some surprisingly famous sites have Dark Web counterparts.
#34.
Bookface?
Ah, Facebook.
Where else are you going to get called names by an old high school classmate over a political
issue you don’t care about?
So what does this social media network need with a dark web mirror site?
Well, for one thing, the site is blocked in many countries around the world, and the mirror
site lets millions of people join in.
It also allows people to use the site anonymously, and you don’t have to worry about the company
selling your data to whoever passes by that day.
One company even created their own dark web mirror.
#33.
ProPublica Undercover
When you make powerful enemies, you need powerful protection.
The non-profit journalism site ProPublica is famous for exposing betrayals of the public
trust, even when it involves revealing private documents.
Because the government could crack down on them or big business could sue them, they
maintain their own dark web mirror site since 2016 to ensure that their archive can’t
be lost and those looking for them can always find their latest expose.
But how do you get around the dark web?
#32.
A Map Through the Dark
You know how you can just tool around wikipedia and find enough links to keep you occupied
while you should be working on your term paper?
Well, the Hidden Wiki is a little different.
Because the dark web is so hidden, to find any site you’ll need to know both what it
is and its exact URL.
This won’t show up on Google.
That’s why this site exists - if you’ve made it to the dark web, you can go to this
site first and find a map of just about anything you want.
Including a totally private social media network.
#31.
Welcome to the Galaxy
Do you want a place to post your private thoughts without any fear of your employer or family
seeing them?
Have you been cancelled one too many times for your tweets?
That’s where Galaxy3 comes in.
An entirely dark-web-based social media platform, it’s mostly used by long-time users and
is a great place to find that specialist you’re looking for.
Kind of like approaching someone in a dark alley, except the dark alley is on your computer.
In fact, just about anything you can find on the regular internet, you can find on the
dark web.
#30.
A Mirror World
Many sites have had popular dark web knock-offs created - often with the help of designers
from the original site.
Reddit, DuckDuckGo, and mail servers are just a few of the copies you can find, as users
seek an escape from the threat of government censorship or site moderation.
Most of these communities are much smaller than the original, but for those select few
in the know, they can enjoy a truly anonymous community.
So how do you join the dark web?
#29.
Your Own Little Slice of the Dark
You go on a site like GoDaddy or Google Domains to purchase your website - and you find no
options for Onion domains.
Well, if it was out there for anyone to buy, it wouldn’t be a secret.
To get a dark web domain, you’ll have to go to...the dark web.
The most popular choice is Onion Domain, a website that sells them for...you guessed
it, bitcoin.
Most URLs sold through there are a random collection of digits, but you can have a custom
one if you’re willing to pay.
But for those who enter, there’s a darker side than illegal markets.
#28.
Unlock the Mystery
Many visitors to the dark web just want the thrill of something mysterious and possibly
illegal.
That’s why a popular item on the markets is mystery boxes.
You bid in bitcoin, and the box is anonymously shipped to your house.
What’s inside?
That’s anyone’s guess.
Some people have found harmless items like a My Little Pony backpack, or even a completely
empty box?
Not worth the cost?
Good luck getting a refund.
But some unboxers have received a more unpleasant surprise.
#27.
An Unwelcome Gift
“Unboxing” may be the hottest trend on YouTube, but those unboxing their dark web
gifts are often surprised in the wrong way.
Some have found drugs.
Some have found weapons that seem to have blood on them.
One found a ziploc bag full of hair.
And one found a more personal touch.
It was a bag full of white powder, marked with a biohazard sticker, and a CD.
When the CD was played, it was the sound of laughing followed by a mysterious voice saying
“I see you”.
Who sent it?
No one ever found out.
But who is actually sending these boxes?
#26.
Generation Dark Web
Is the dark web full of dangerous criminals?
The answer is a lot more complicated than that.
While no one knows the exact demographics, many of the most avid users are tech-savvy
Gen Z kids who are concerned about their privacy.
Many of them have no criminal history, so the odds are many of these terrifying mystery
boxes are essentially elaborate pranks designed to scare those who receive them or go viral
on YouTube.
But that’s not always the case.
#25.
A Den of Thieves
The dark web has been increasingly used as a haven for high-level criminals, looking
to get away with their crimes away from the public eye.
Because the dark web is an international hub, it’s become a common place for Russian financial
criminals to commit fraud.
A common tactic is to create a duplicate of a legitimate commerce site with a slightly
different URL, and trick people into giving them their personal or financial information
- which then disappears into thin air.
But the crimes of the dark web don’t always stay there.
#24.
Hack Away
One of the most notorious criminal enterprises on the dark web is hacking collectives.
These criminals send out trojan horse e-mails and files that contain links to viruses.
While some viruses are just destructive and destroy computer systems - because some hackers
just want to see the world burn - most are designed to extort the user.
You want your computer containing all your files unlocked?
Better pay up - in Bitcoin, of course.
Whether the password to unlock the computer will work?
Well, that’s anyone’s guess.
But the hackers are getting savvier and savvier.
#23.
A Bigger Hack?
Previously, you could avoid most viruses by not opening suspicious files.
But hackers have developed new, smarter viruses that can spread through backdoors and attack
computer systems even if no one lets them in.
This has been used to shut down everything from hospital computer networks, to government
sites, to oil pipelines supplying much of the United States.
And the bigger the target, the higher the ransom.
And in 2017, the crisis hit its worst point.
#22.
Wanna Cry?
On May 12th, 2017, the Wannacry cyber attack began and spread through over 230,000 computers.
Many users paid the ransom quickly - but no one ever got their data back.
This led to crises around the world as Microsoft scrambled to get updates out that would protect
their computers, and security experts battled to save much of the world’s computer infrastructure.
The savior?
Marcus Hutchins, a cyber-expert who had worked on illegal hacking software before and knew
the ins and outs of viruses.
Sometimes, a dark web denizen is needed to stop the dark web.
But some darker corners of the dark web are lurking as well…
#21.
That’s Nasty
For those who came of age in the internet age, finding your first porn on the internet
has replaced sneaking a peak at dad’s lady mags.
But for those looking, they probably shouldn’t cut their teeth on the dark web’s offerings.
These hidden sites are where people go when they want a type of porn that’s darker than
the average.
Much contains illegal activity, and both the providers and the downloaders have found themselves
in trouble with the law - but for every site the law cracks down on, the odds are another
one is waiting.
Some areas of the dark web may even be a threat to global security.
#20.
Terror from the Dark Web
It was the 1990s and the internet was still new, but that didn’t stop dangerous elements
from carving out their own corner.
The birth of the dark web let people gather away from prying eyes - and some of the first
to take advantage were extremist groups from around the world.
The dark web became a place for terrorist groups to gather, spread propaganda, and plot
attacks without the authorities being able to track them.
It wasn’t long before the most prominent terror groups in the world got in on the action.
#19.
The War Goes Dark
As the Syrian Civil War raged, brutal attacks were carried out against the civilian population.
And on the dark web, some evil elements were trying to pass more money on to the terrorists.
When a man named Ahmed Sarsur attempted to hire snipers via the dark web, he was quickly
caught.
Investigations showed that even ISIL had a presence on the dark web, with multiple sites
- some real and some fake - serving as places for the terrorists to gather.
But they were ultimately undone by an unlikely source.
#18.
Who Are They?
After the 2015 Paris attacks, ISIL found their Dark Web site taken down and hacked.
The culprit?
A powerful hacker group named Anonymous, known for their use of a Guy Fawkes mask as their
icon and for their release of information the most powerful people in the world don’t
want you to know.
A collective of online guerillas, their tactics were ruthless and targeted elements from across
the political spectrum - meaning just about everyone wanted to stop them.
But that would be easier said than done, and the hacker collective pulled off some impressive
feats.
#17.
Crossovers
Anonymous became one of the first dark web groups to maintain a presence on both the
main internet and the dark web, setting up anonymous twitter accounts and on other social
media sites.
This was so their information and ultimatums could be seen by a wider audience, as they
took on targets including Scientology, the Ferguson and Cleveland police departments,
and even the Canadian government.
But it wasn’t to last - the Anonymous Twitter account was quickly suspended.
But the powerful hacking group wasn’t always on target.
#16.
False Flags
Anonymous was a large, collective operation - and that meant its information was only
as good as each individual member putting it out.
The hacking group’s reputation took a big hit during the Ferguson protests when they
vowed to identify the officer involved in the shooting - and then named the wrong one.
Later, they promised to reveal a list of politicians who were secretly members of the Ku Kluk Klan
- and named several who were members of religions and ethnicities who are hated by the Klan.
Whoops.
But their most prominent role crossed over into the world of journalism.
#15.
Welcome to WikiLeaks
Wikileaks isn’t on the dark web - it’s a website anyone can visit.
But no one’s managed to take it down, no matter how many prominent governments would
like to.
Founded by the controversial Julian Assange, it specializes in posting classified documents
from the highest level of governments around the world.
While Assange has been provided his documents by agents within the government, most of his
communications are done by the dark web.
That hasn’t stopped him from being wanted by multiple countries, leading him to take
refuge in the embassies of friendly nations.
But not all hackers have a higher purpose or political goal.
#14.
The Wrong Evite
You wouldn’t think Evite would be a hub for dark web activity.
The social planning service has tens of millions of followers, most of which use it for organizing
invites to events.
But in 2019, the site was targeted in a massive security breach, and more than ten million
users had their personal information leaked.
The hacker behind it had a relatively modest demand - just under $2000 in Bitcoin.
But Evite had a policy of not paying ransom to avoid encouraging hackers - and countless
people’s information wound up being put up for auction on the dark web.
But not every Dark Web mystery has a criminal connection.
#13.
Dead-End Mystery
It was August 2012, and around the dark web users were finding odd clues.
This was part of an augmented reality game, which combined clues on the internet that
led them to locations in the real world.
A combination of codes scattered around multiple sites made it very hard to crack, and users
went to intense lengths like driving to New York to answer a specific payphone at 3 in
the morning.
So what was the mystery behind this scavenger hunt?
A Bitcoin treasure?
Nope, it was all a promotion for a new album by the hip-hop group Death Grips.
Okay, so that was sort of chaotic neutral.
But the dark web has its good side too.
#12.
Checkmate
Are you interested in testing your wits - but never knowing who you’re playing?
Feel free to step into a game of chess played exclusively on the dark web.
You’ll be matched against someone from anywhere in the world, and will play on a simple website
that looks like it could have come straight out of 1995.
While sure, you could just play in real life or on a regular website, at least here you’ll
never know if you just got trounced by a six-year-old prodigy.
And those cramming for a paper can say “Thank you, Dark Web”!
#11.
The Science Side
Academic papers are expensive, and can quickly add up for struggling college students living
on ramen.
That’s why many sites have cropped up getting around those paywalls by uploading papers
and textbooks to the dark web.
While some are illegal piracy websites that get shut down regularly, the trend has spread
with some organizations even encouraging authors to submit their own papers for public viewing
on onion domains.
And if you’re a journalist looking to protect your source, the Dark Web is there for you.
#10.
Blow Away
Being a whistleblower is a risky game.
At best, you could be violating a corporate non-disclosure agreement.
At worst, you could be risking jail time or even your life.
That’s where SecureDrop comes in.
A dark web site that provides open-source submission, it lets journalists and sources
communicate without storing any IP addresses or other data.
Prominent newspapers like The Washington Post have even started using them.
The dark web is going mainstream in journalism.
But for every ray of light, there’s a dark side.
#9.
The Worst of the Worst
The dark web has played host to some truly notorious criminals, and some have paid a
heavy price.
Vietnamese hacker Hieu Mingh Ngo might be one of the worst - for quantity, not quality.
The identity theft expert had been running a massive operation from his home and managed
to steal over two hundred million people’s identity information around the world.
He would sell it to other hackers - until the feds caught up with him, which landed
him thirteen years in federal prison.
But that wasn’t the harshest sentence any Dark Web criminal got.
#8.
The Kingpin
If you went through the online marketplace Silk Road in the 2000s, the odds are you heard
about someone called the Dread Pirate Roberts.
That would be the man better known as Ross Ulbricht, the mastermind of Silk Road.
His digital black market sold millions of dollars in illegal drugs and other goods - but
not weapons, as the staunch libertarian didn’t believe in them.
But that didn’t stop him from contracting out hits on potential enemies.
When his empire came crashing down, he was eventually sentenced to a double life sentence
plus forty years.
But some criminal enterprises on the dark web claim to go even further.
#7.
Guns for Hire
Is it really possible to contract someone’s death on the dark web?
A lot of people think so - because you don’t have to go far to find someone claiming to
be an assassin for hire.
The process is simple - you pay them bitcoin, they hunt their target, and no one ever knows
who hired them.
But no assassinations have ever been tied to these dark web assassins, which means many
people think the entire thing is a hoax.
But if it’s a hoax, one assassination platform took the hoax too far.
#6.
Boldface Names
It was called the Assassination Market.
Founded by a self-declared crypto-anarchist who used Tor to keep the site secret, it offered
crowd-funded assassinations of prominent figures including the President of the United states
and the chairman of the federal reserve.
Anyone who claimed a bounty could collect however much had been raised for that assassination
- but no one ever took the bait on the big names.
While the site has been defunct for years, someone cashed out all the bitcoins in 2018…
But is the Dark Web coming after...you?
#5.
The Hunters
Rumors abound of people being kidnapped to be sold on the dark web - and there’s truth
to this.
In 2019, a British model named Chloe Ayling went to Milan for a photo shoot - only to
be kidnapped by two men who ambushed her.
She was found after four weeks, and the plan by the men was to put her up for auction on
the dark web.
No one knows who intended to buy her or what their plan was, but whether people are being
sold on the dark web or not, some kidnappers see it as a new revenue stream.
But for those sold on the dark web, is there a dark destination?
#4.
What Is The Red Room?
Wherever you look, people are talking about the darkest of dark web locations.
A website where you can watch live streams of random people being tortured and killed
by masked maniacs.
Who are these victims?
Some say they’re horrible people who escaped the law - and others say they’re innocents
kidnapped off the streets.
But no one has been able to find any of these Red Rooms, and authorities believe the most
likely reason why is that they’re only a gruesome urban legend.
But urban legend or not, they’re not going away any time soon.
#3.
A Dark Sensation
The red room legend may be the dark web’s lasting legacy, with the idea becoming popular
far from the internet’s reaches.
Horror movies have been made about the concept, a digital update of the popular “Torture
cabin” genre of horror.
Even comics are getting in on the action - acclaimed cartoonist Ed Piskor releases a monthly indie
comic about the employees of the torture chamber called...you guessed it...Red Room.
But this dark corner of the internet isn’t a secret anymore.
#2.
More Popular Than Ever
Despite all the scary rumors, the dark web is becoming a popular place to do business.
Part of it is the privacy and decreased risk of hackers - which is ironic, because you’re
more likely to interact with hackers there.
Some of it is the increased use of cryptocurrency, but whatever the reason, it’s paying off
- it’s estimated that up to thirty percent of Americans have used the dark web at some
point.
And that means big money.
#1.
Ka-Ching!
No one knows exactly how much money is spent on the dark web each year.
That’s a big part of the appeal - no one knows what you’re up to.
But estimates are that it’s now a billion-dollar business, mostly in smaller bitcoin transactions.
That’s a lot of secret purchases, and whether they’re buying mystery boxes, drugs, illegal
pets, or your identity - well, that’s for them to know and you not to find out.
For more on this mysterious corner of the internet, check out “Why You Should Never
Visit the Dark Web - Compilation” or watch “Worst Internet ATTACK the World Has Ever
Seen” for more on the chaos caused by WannaCry.