Summary of 6 vendor busts: what they did wrong

There are many reports and articles on dnm vendors getting busted, but it is not always easy to find valueable information about the bust and what led to it. In order to provide a safer dnm experience for everyone I will post a summary of 6 busts which contain things that the vendors did wrong and gave law enforcement and advantage and things that they did right which disrupted the investigations.

To vendors reading this: please take 5 minutes of your time to read the summaries and make sure that you are not doing the same mistakes that your competition did. Also I know some of you have already collected information about vendor busts and I am asking you to share it with the community here to make the dnms a bit safer.


Bust #1: Alexandrus

sources:

http://fokus.dn.se/alexandrus/ [english: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Ffokus.dn.se%2Falexandrus%2F]

http://norran.se/nyheter/blaljus-nyheter/harifran-skotte-han-storsta-narkotikaligan-408757 [english: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fnorran.se%2Fnyheter%2Fblaljus-nyheter%2Fharifran-skotte-han-storsta-narkotikaligan-408757&edit-text=]

notes:


Bust #2: Area51 a.k.a Darkapollo

sources:

discussion link: https://www.reddit.com/r/DarkNetMarkets/comments/4y34cp/step_by_step_dissection_of_a_darknet_vendor_bust/

timeline: https://www.deepdotweb.com/2016/08/26/timeline-arrests-alphabay-vendors-area51-darkapollo/

notes:

a) they were able to identify the time, date, and location the postage was purchased via the Postage Validation Imprinter (PVI) label

b) postage for parcel #1 was purchased via an SSK (Self Service Kiosk) located near the residences of both suspects

c) PVI labels were bought with the same credit card -> LEOs were able to identify additional postage being purchased utilizing the same card number

d) photos are taken during each SSK transaction -> LEOs identified one of the suspects


Bust #3: CaliConnect

sources:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2016/08/if-youre-an-alleged-drug-dealer-dont-use-asshole209-as-a-password/

notes:


Bust #4: Owlcity

sources:

https://www.reddit.com/r/DarkNetMarkets/comments/4vw1f7/alphabay_seller_owlcity_arrested_due_to_checking/

notes:


Bust #5: Pfandleiher

sources:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160317052841/http://www.zeit.de/2014/12/drogenhandel-silk-road-pfandleiher and https://web.archive.org/web/20160317052819/http://www.zeit.de/2014/12/drogenhandel-silk-road-pfandleiher/seite-2 [no direct translation link available, please copy the text from the article and manually enter it into a translator]

notes:


Bust #6: Shiny Flakes

sources:

https://web.archive.org/web/20160310112332/http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-rise-and-fall-of-shiny-flakes-germanys-online-drug-market

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/germany-drug-bust-finds-4m-haul-destined-online-sale-cops-n322146

https://www.gwern.net/Black-market%20arrests

notes:


stay safe.


Comments


[115 Points] Elisa-Yamaha:

trademarked his own vendor name using his real name

kept incriminating things at his home: (..) also pieces of clothing apparel with the label 'caliconnect'

What..


[29 Points] None:

I feel as if there's no way for a vendor to scape LE's claws once they've got their eyes on him. How is using +60 mailboxes an OPSEC fuck up? How can you avoid a package being opened after the buyer fucked up his address?


[27 Points] None:

[deleted]

What is this?


[14 Points] Derrick4Real:

Excellent contribution! Thanks for taking the time to pull this all together and share it with us.

Possibly Gwern 2.0?


[12 Points] murderhomelesspeople:

Well some of these people were just plain retarded.


[10 Points] RIP_Meth_9000:

Coming to the DNM sub on Reddit & asking how to vend is a sure fire way to get caught by LE......Freaking stop that STUPID bullshit!!!!!!


[12 Points] None:

[deleted]


[9 Points] None:

Good write up, quick note though, USPS supposedly flags shipments whose tracking is checked through TOR, this is the reason behind it being safer to check through public wifi or a trustworthy VPN.


[6 Points] MDMangel:

You can't be stopped! You have a place in my heart Womby (if I love you, you get a nick). Thank you for this thoughtful, insightful, and well written post. You're an outstanding part of our community and I am greatful to know members like you!


[3 Points] None:

[deleted]


[2 Points] Tonto115:

I'm gonna get shit for this but wouldn't the best ospec be to rig your house up so that in the even of a raid, you could just flip a switch and your house would start to burn up? I mean there would be 0 physical evidence.


[1 Points] DaRealDonaldTrump:

You... I like you.... I appreciate you for posting this


[1 Points] RosesGawd:

Bust #3 is a fuckin moron


[1 Points] Selectivescammer1:

I think the vendors's name was HollandOnline, good vebndor, not sure if they got him or just his associate, or both, but police used survailance and witnessed him picking up drugs from his supplier and putting them in the car boot, then followed him to the drug stash, then busted him


[1 Points] LordChupracabra:

Imma just drop this here


[1 Points] stickykitty1:

Great post OP, thanks!


[1 Points] likeabowse:

/u/wombat2combat - time to update this with the best one yet lol