How Cybermarket Sells “New Identity” Documents
The unlawful commerce of new identity documents thrives on both the surface and the deep Web, often called Onionland. This rapidly growing market uses these documents to create new identities.
The Growing Cybermarket for New Identities
The online market for falsified identification documents is expanding quickly. Sellers operate on both the surface and the deep Web, particularly in Onionland. Cyberspace’s anonymity, legal gaps, and lack of physical distance provide many advantages to fraudsters looking to sell new identities.
Understanding Onionland
Onionland, a part of the deep Web, contains online information that search engines like Google cannot access. It is a darknet or parallel Web accessible only through Tor, a software initially created by the US Naval Research Laboratory to secure government communications. Today, Tor is used by various individuals, including ordinary people, journalists, law enforcement, activists, and criminals, to maintain online privacy and security.
Tor consists of virtual tunnels that allow users to enhance their online privacy and anonymity. Its popularity—a few million users connect daily—makes it an ideal location for illegal activities.
Investigating the Market
Researchers have investigated the market through virtual ethnography on the surface of the Web and Onionland. The study examined fifty websites and blogs that produce counterfeit identities and contacted 65 sellers via email. Complaintsboard.com, where hundreds of posts and comments about the market were evaluated, was a crucial information source.
Types of Sellers
The investigation identified three primary types of sellers:
- Website Proprietors (Group A): These sellers maintain websites or blogs as online stores on the surface Web and Onionland.
- Email Sellers (Group B): These vendors use forums to promote their products through spam adverts. They are more common on the surface Web than in Onionland.
- Onion Vendors (Group C): These vendors operate in specific forums or dedicated illegal markets like Black Market Reloaded, Silk Road, and Sheep.
Surface Web Sellers (Group A)
Group A sellers often collaborate in groups, each member responsible for tasks like managing the website, sourcing products, or manufacturing falsified documents. These websites are typically hosted on offshore servers in countries with lax criminal laws. The homepage usually includes product links, prices, contact information, and FAQs. Sellers disclaim responsibility for creating and selling new identities, stating that the documents are for entertainment only.
Payment Methods and Prices
Sellers offer discounts for specific packages, such as the “entirely new identity package,” which includes a new identity card, passport, and birth certificate. Payment methods vary, including cash, checks, bank transfers, credit cards, Western Union, PayPal, Ukash, MoneyGram, or Bitcoin. Upfront payments, ranging from 15% to 60% of the total sum, are standard.
Prices for Documents
Prices for various documents vary widely:
- Social Security in the US: $500 to $630
- US Birth Certificates: $220 to $330
- European and English-speaking Countries’ IDs and Driver’s Licenses: €300 to €650
- Passports: €18,200 to €36,200 for scans or reproductions, up to €372,000 for a UK passport, and up to €4,870,000 for a diplomatic passport
Onionland Sellers (Group A)
Onionland’s Group A sellers operate differently from surface Web sellers. They require customers to create accounts with usernames and passwords. Access to the entire website content is restricted without registration and direct contact with the seller. They specialize in a limited number of documents from select countries, accepting only Bitcoin as payment.
Email Sellers (Group B)
Email vendors engage in social engineering and verbal brawls on forums and websites like Complaintsboard.com to win clients’ trust and discredit competitors. They sell various documents, from passports to new identity documents. Some claim to manufacture ePassports registered in national databases, although this is dubious given the quick delivery times.
Prices for Documents from Email Sellers
- Legitimate Passports: €198,500 to €432,500
- False Passports: €8,500 to €16,900
- New Identity Cards and Driver’s Licenses: Up to €1,000 cheaper
Onion Vendors (Group C)
Onion vendors sell their products on dedicated markets like Silk Road or Black Market Reloaded. They must register on the market and pay a fee to rent advertising space. They follow internal regulations and have a feedback system where customers can rate the product quality and vendor. These vendors specialize in a limited range of documents, often from a few countries.
Payment Methods and Prices
Sellers offer discounts for specific packages, such as the “entirely new identity package,” which includes a new identity card, passport, and birth certificate. Payment methods vary, including cash, checks, bank transfers, credit cards, Western Union, PayPal, Ukash, MoneyGram, or Bitcoin. Upfront payments, ranging from 15% to 60% of the total sum, are standard.
Prices for Documents
Prices for various documents vary widely:
- Social Security in the US: $500 to $630
- US Birth Certificates: $220 to $330
- European and English-speaking Countries’ IDs and Driver’s Licenses: €300 to €650
- Passports: €18,200 to €36,200 for scans or reproductions, up to €372,000 for a UK passport, and up to €4,870,000 for a diplomatic passport
Onionland Sellers (Group A)
Onionland’s Group A sellers operate differently from surface Web sellers. They require customers to create accounts with usernames and passwords. Access to the entire website content is restricted without registration and direct contact with the seller. They specialize in a limited number of documents from select countries, accepting only Bitcoin as payment.
Email Sellers (Group B)
Email vendors engage in social engineering and verbal brawls on forums and websites like Complaintsboard.com to win clients’ trust and discredit competitors. They sell various documents, from passports to new identity documents. Some claim to manufacture ePassports registered in national databases, although this is dubious given the quick delivery times.
Prices for Documents from Email Sellers
- Legitimate Passports: €198,500 to €432,500
- False Passports: €8,500 to €16,900
- New Identity Cards and Driver’s Licenses: Up to €1,000 cheaper
Onion Vendors (Group C)
Onion vendors sell their products on dedicated markets like Silk Road or Black Market Reloaded. They must register on the market and pay a fee to rent advertising space. They follow internal regulations and have a feedback system where customers can rate the product quality and vendor. These vendors specialize in a limited range of documents, often from a few countries.
Case Studies
Case Study 1: John Doe’s Safe Disappearance
John Doe needed to disappear legally after uncovering corruption in his organization. He purchased a new identity package from an Onionland seller. This included a new passport, identity card, and driver’s license. The process took about three weeks, and he paid with Bitcoin. Today, John lives safely in a new country, and his identity is protected.
Case Study 2: Jane Smith’s Identity Protection
Jane Smith, a whistleblower, required identity protection after exposing a significant scandal. She used an email vendor to obtain a new identity. Despite initial skepticism, the vendor provided a video of the document creation process, building Jane’s trust. She received her new identity documents within two weeks and successfully started a new life.
Conclusion
The cybermarket for new identity documents is expanding due to the internet’s anonymity, legal gaps, and lack of physical distance. While many sellers are likely fraudsters, some in Group A and Onionland vendors can deliver the required documents. This market challenges law enforcement, as vendors can quickly disappear and set up new operations.
The increasing demand for new identities underscores the need for robust identity protection and legal avenues for identity change. For those seeking a safe disappearance, navigating this market requires caution and carefully selecting reliable vendors.
If you would like to work with a professional team that can help make your transition to a life of freedom, contact Amicus Int. for New Identity services today.
