What can you buy on the dark web?

Related: What is the dark web used for?

How big is the dark web?

The study by King's College London, "The Darkness Online", found around 300,000 addresses within the Tor network, which were comprised of an estimated 205,000 web pages. The study also performed a deep search that discovered 5,205 live sites on the dark web. Over half of these (2,723) contained illegal web content.

Many people mistakenly believe that the dark web is the huge sinister mass lurking under the surface of the world wide web. The reality is the dark web is tiny. The dark web was estimated to contain 205,000 web pages by "The Darkness Online" report in 2016. In comparison, in 2013 Google estimated that the open web was comprised of over 30 trillion pages. In other words, compared to the open web the dark web is a tiny tip of the deep web iceberg that whilst sinister, isn't particularly large.

What can you buy on the dark web?

The commercial side of the dark web cannot be ignored. The dark web has become an unregulated marketplace where anyone can buy almost anything if they download the right software and have spare bitcoins.

The available black market for illegal services may include buying anything from illegal drugs, guns and stolen credit card information. The site even had a user review system for its drug trade.

The dark web was also a haven for cybercrime, where malware, hacking tools and even hacks could be rented for the right price. The sale of personal details is common on the dark web.

1. Credit card numbers

One of the most common items on the dark web includes credit card numbers. Often, they are sold at discounted bulk prices.

2. Bank account and routing numbers

Bank account and routing numbers are also usually sold in bulk and appear on the dark web daily.

3. Voter registration information

Voter fraud and scams have been making headlines around the world, but entire lists of voter data are up for grabs in dark web auctions.

4. Employee login credentials and other personally identifiable information

Businesses are a common target for dark web criminals, and the range of corporate information for sale includes information such as:

Employee email addresses, company name, address, zip code, phone number, website, number of employees, sales volume, company mission, and fax number.

5. Bitcoin Lottery Tickets

Since the Dark Web operates exclusively using bitcoin, it's natural that people will want to use the digital currency for gambling. Hence, this bitcoin lottery, which has tickets for sale on the deep web.

6. Fake College Degrees

Buying fake college degrees online is pretty easy anyways, so it's a mystery why anybody would take to the Dark Web to buy one, even if it's from a high class college. But they're out there, waiting for you to frame and put on your wall.

In addition, stolen subscription details, hacked Netflix accounts, pornography, etc. can be found and purchased on the dark web.

Despite the wide range of services available, conducting business on the Dark Web is dangerous and risky. Not only can you go to jail for purchasing illegal or illicit goods and services, but there is no guarantee that the items you try to purchase will be delivered. Many retailers simply disappear with your money and set up store under a new alias, or your purchases could be confiscated at a border crossing or en route.

Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency

No discussion around the dark web and its black market would be complete without mentioning cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Cryptocurrencies allow for private transactions on the dark web and open networks.

The dark web has been able to flourish thanks to cryptocurrencies, which allow transactions to take place without knowledge of the identity of the buyer or seller. Almost every transaction on the dark web involves cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. However, the anonymity of cryptocurrencies comes with its own risks, and fraud is commonplace.