It seems like the logical next step for them no? First they started taking markets down and arresting the Admins, then with Hansa they took over the market and actually ran it as the Admins to gain a bunch of intel and make a ton of arrests. If they wanted to build a market from scratch wouldn't they be able to build a bunch of exploits and traps into it? Just how malicious could someone make an onion website? In what ways could they compromise user's opsec or gather information on vendors and buyers?
/u/Tordash · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 04:46 · Link
The money and manpower needed to create a market, code exploits, advertise, *hoping* that it gains any traction enough to justify the whole operation > finding a single flaw/exploit/backdoor in an already established market. The logical step for LE is always to pick low hanging fruit, not grow the trees themselves
/u/42069 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 08:13 · Link
Precisely... Shit like ANØM takes time and is trivial to circumvent, catching only idiots in the process... Don't be a N0ob, wear tinfoil! /post/035152b4f340cfd73c23/#c-50e0560f9df6f89689
/u/watchmedie · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 04:19 · Link
My bet is they already have. Feds are definitely among us.
/u/42069 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 08:11 · Link
OFC they are on this site. In fact a lot of people would call them criminally incompetent if they ain't instantly making an account on every DNM to try to catch vendors! Consider everyone hostile!!! /post/035152b4f340cfd73c23/#c-50e0560f9df6f89689
/u/cylon66 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 15:44 · Link
I guess it just seems like these international operations keep getting bigger and more sophisticated every year. All of these agencies are working together and obviously getting more sophisticated in their investigative techniques: 2021: Operation Dark HunTOR saw 155 arrests, 234 kilos of drugs and $31 million in cash 2023: Operation SpecTOR saw 288 arrests, 850 kilos of drugs, and $53.4 million in cash I'm sure the operation probably going on right now that they announce in 2024 or 2025 will be even bigger, They're definitely getting more sophisticated, but are markets and market admins keeping up? Are we all just marching toward one giant honeypot? Creating a market might take a lot of time, manpower and motivation, but they have a lot of time, manpower and motivation. A lot of the comments here were about low-hanging fruit but is that really what they're after nowadays? LE is always looking to make their next operation bigger than the last. That's how they justify their jobs to their superiors and get increases in their bugest. At some point "low hanging fruit" isn't going to be enough. It kind of feels like we're getting to that point imo
/u/CodeIsLaw · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 04:18 · Link
Do you think they would use End Game?
/u/cylon66 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 04:19 · Link
I don't know what that is lol
/u/CodeIsLaw · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 04:25 · Link
Lol, it's the DDoS Protection Dread and Most of the Markets use.
/u/SmartyMcFly · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 06:01 · Link
They are probably too busy with low hanging Fruit Cakes
/u/42069 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 08:10 · Link
Eeyupp... Look up on DarknetLive on how people got pwned and you know they don't have to go neck deep into this... Still: Treat everyone as hostile! /post/035152b4f340cfd73c23/#c-50e0560f9df6f89689
/u/flexible · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 04:41 · Link
YellowBrick market seemed a straight up trap and yes, the Feds are here 24/7, it's their job
/u/sesquipedalian · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 04:48 · Link
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/u/AutoModerator · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 04:48 · Link
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/u/sesquipedalian · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 04:48 · Link
They've impersonated criminal network service providers before. See ANOM case, "Operation Trojan Shield"
/u/42069 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 08:09 · Link
Yeah but ANØM was different in that this was sanctioned before - at least AFP & FBI claim so... Treat everyone as UC tasked to take you down and you'll sleep tight... /post/035152b4f340cfd73c23/#c-50e0560f9df6f89689
/u/Chill-Pilgrim · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 06:20 · Link
It's the UFO's I'm worried about. If they steal my hallucinogens I'll be real miffed.
/u/anyong1 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 07:58 · Link
Thats entrapment....
/u/42069 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 08:08 · Link
Yes and no. DeLorean got discharged because of that. I'd not trust that as a defense strategy tho. /post/035152b4f340cfd73c23/#c-50e0560f9df6f89689
/u/anyong1 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 13:03 · Link
I dont think you can make a market designed for purchasing drugs then arrest people for using it. Just like feds can go undercover ask if you want to buy drugs then arrest you for saying yes. Can see feds taking over a market (like they did with Hansa) to gain intelligence, but setting up and running one themselves seems a little sketchy......even though I think M00nkey market was data gathering and not a real market, might be connected to feds.
/u/ScrillaMaka · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 16:45 · Link
Having managed the funds of people who navigate the bureaucracy regularly, I would put money on the idea that they can't because of some arbitrary regulation. I don't underestimate them, but I also don't believe they aren't bound by incompetent and risk-averse bosses.
/u/Ohnoerman · N/A votes · 21st December, 2023 - 19:12 · Link
Maybe not create, but take ownership and oversee operations. I was part of a carding forum that was reputable in the scene. One day it was "sold." The new owner was a FBI agent. They let operations go for some weeks while they continued to gather evidence. This agent even asked new/unverified members to show him proof that they're good enough to have full access to the forum. When they took it down, they conducted interviews and arrests the same day all over the world.
/u/AutoModerator · N/A votes · 21st December, 2023 - 19:12 · Link
[removed by moderators]
/u/HumanPie · N/A votes · 21st December, 2023 - 20:53 · Link
Are you talking about Operation Firewall back in 2004?
/u/42069 · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 08:06 · Link
Yes and No... Yes in that it'll get them a shitload of info [see Honeyposts like ProtonMail, Tutanota and espechally ANØM]. No in that this will likely cross a line more severe than "Operation Fast & Furious" aka. ATF "Gunwalking" Scandal... Most likely assume feds to try and flip DNM staff, make undercover purchases and most importantly try to frame someone for anything they can throw at them. Always assume everyone is a UC - even your neighbours, partner and mailman... Better paranoid yet safe than naive but sorry and in jail!
/u/newaccountforpost · N/A votes · 18th December, 2023 - 14:59 · Link
/u/HugBunter said something many years ago after someone accused him and Dread of being a product of the FBI which has stuck with me "Assume all sites including markets and forums on the onion network are a product of LE, then apply appropriate opsec and you have nothing to fear which I 100% agree with and im confident LE wouldnt waste there time creating a market because they know the serious vendors and users would apply good opsec and would gather little intelligence