I run the deepweb Atlantis blackmarket (r/atlantis).
Here’s an example of our current homepage:
http://s22.postimg.org/r8lgnj0ht/image.png
Bitcoin and Litecoin are the cryptocurrencies used in Atlantis market deals.
Thank you for your approval. SupermanV2 (mod) (mod)
Edit: Because the question has been asked several times, the link now on the sidebar of our subreddit.
We’ve returned to answering questions.
CANDID ADVICE/DISCUSSIONS
I’d like to thank you personally for everything you do to make internet medicine purchases safer and more enjoyable.
Can you tell me where you like to get your illegal drugs, PunderMcNasty?
I’m not a cop in the least.
Why did you select to start with Litecoin? Also, do you believe the price of Litecoin will rise as a result of your website? How long did it take you to prepare and set up everything?
We wanted to promote Litecoin because it has a few fantastic advantages over Bitcoin, so we began with it. I believe that much of the value has already come from Atlantis, and that more will come from Atlantis as we progress. The site has taken a year to get to where it is now, with a few developers working on it primarily full time.
This is reasonable. Litecoin does, in fact, take less time to transfer than bitcoin. Thank you for responding! I wish you and your team the best of luck!
What has been your most serious security threat?
We done a lot of planning for this and haven’t encountered any security difficulties yet. Our main concern would be if a security weakness in the technology on which we rely was discovered (e.g flaw in the onion routeing protocol or the Bitcoin protocol).
What is the most popular item? Cannabis is the most popular item.
So, how can you receive delivery while being anonymous? I mean, don’t you have to provide the seller your name and address at some point? And if they ever get caught and you’re in their database as a customer, aren’t you kinda…fucked?
By the way, thanks for the AMA.
Some buyers use fictitious names to conceal their identity, while others do not. We have a stringent policy that requires merchants to erase any information on their customers after the product has been sent (e.g from their computer). In addition, once the order is dispatched, the address is automatically removed from our database.
Packaging has a significant role in the reviews and ratings customers give to medicine sellers. If the vendor is not being watched, your package will be shipped from an unknown city, as millions of other packages have been. Unless there is something exceedingly suspicious, USPS will not open the parcel. This is why users are worried about good packing.
You must trust that the vendor erases or does not preserve records, but even then, unless you signed for the package (which you will not have to), there is a very little probability that it will go beyond that.
One option is to use a business such as mailboxes etc., the UPS store or something similar where you rent a mailbox but it is not a post office box. I’ve never done it, but that’s the first thing I’d look into if I needed to remain anonymous.
I’ve heard that these websites are far more common than most people realise. How much traffic do you receive?
We have one of the largest and most refined markets. Every day, we receive thousands of visitors and complete hundreds of orders through Atlantis.
I looked into Atlantis merely out of curiosity. I don’t do drugs at all, however the costs appear to be more than the street prices. Why do consumers prefer to make purchases on Atlantis? Is it because they know they’re getting good quality? It appears to be riskier than purchasing narcotics on the street.
Prices vary, and some are actually less expensive than those found on the street.
Some of the primary reasons why customers prefer to buy from Atlantis are as follows:
The product’s quality. Because of the site’s feedback and reputation system, you may be confident that you will receive a genuine item.
Order from the convenience of your own home and have the package delivered to you (with tracking).
There are thousands of goods to pick from. A local dealer may not always have the goods you’re looking for.
Deal with currencies that can be used to buy things without relying on currency.
Encrypted communication is more secure than messaging or calling your local dealer.
Better quality, easier access, and safer than dealing with strangers on the street. Many consumers may not have access to a helpful in-person dealer.
So you don’t do drugs, but you’re aware of the street prices for illegal substances? I’m perplexed.
I have two questions for you:
Aren’t you concerned about attracting more attention to your site by hosting an AMA rather than depending solely on word of mouth? Do you run the danger of attracting the notice of law enforcement agencies by doing anything like this?
What prompted you to launch a website of your own? Just for the money? Or are there other reasons?
Do you ever have to be concerned about something attempting to take your servers offline? Or is someone attempting to dox you for increasing competition in this market? (This is analogous to an existing dealer shattering the kneecaps of a new seller in his territory.)
Do your customers sell legal products? What is the gap between lawful and illegal? Which do you want your users to sell? (If you have any preference.)
Last but not least,
Do you have any openings? =P
Thank you for your inquiries:
We wish to draw attention to the site and bring more shoppers to our suppliers. Law enforcement will be aware of us (and most likely already are) regardless of how we chose to market our goods.
It was a combination of the attractiveness of delivering a service in which we believe and a business decision. Prohibition is a regressive process.
We have implemented technical safeguards to minimise and mitigate these risks. In terms of our names being revealed, if a competitor can do it, so can law enforcement. That is of more concern to us. We take numerous precautions to safeguard our identity.
There are numerous legal things for sale as well, however the majority of our items are tied to drugs. We have no say over what is sold (assuming it does not break our restricted items rules).
Yes, we are. We are seeking for a web marketer/SEO who is prepared to be compensated in Bitcoin.
Do you keep attorneys on retainer? A few lawyers use our platform to provide legal advice for a charge.
How did you get your first clients? How did you get the first market base and advertise the site in this manner?
We made a statement in two cryptocurrency community forums, and word travelled swiftly.
We also provided incentives for merchants at other market venues to sign up and take advantage of no-commission trade.
Yes, vendors frequently give free incentives to build a solid reputation at the start of their seller career.
I can’t see your website (yet), but do you have Australian vendors? Yes, we have a few Australian sellers.
What does one sell on the black market under the “Home & Garden” category…?
Ikea lighting…
… As well as nutrient-dense soil, growth equipment, CFLs, HPS lamps, and so on.
Why do you buy and sell these things on the black market rather than through a large internet retailer?
Sure! Please follow the instructions outlined below;
Install the Tor browser bundle from https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser.html.en.
Install the Bitcoin client from http://bitcoin.org/en/download.
You will need to get some Bitcoins. MtGox is the most popular exchange (www.mtgox.com). They provide several methods for converting your local cash to Bitcoins.
Visit Atlantis using the Tor browser (the URL is r/Atlantis).
Make an account
Transfer your Bitcoins to that address by clicking the deposit BTC option under account settings. It will take 1-2 hours for the transfer to propagate over the network.
You can then shop for whatever you want while being assured in your security and privacy.
If you have any further questions, please let us know.
Hello,
Several questions:
Are you the creator (or a creator) of Atlantis?
How did you get your start in this industry?
What are the top five most popular items?
What is the most significant (expensive) sale?
What are the most typical blunders made by new vendors?
What are the most typical blunders made by first-time buyers?
What is the craziest item you’ve had to ban from sale?
What has been the most challenging aspect of running Atlantis for you?
What has been the most straightforward aspect?
Do you have a “exit strategy” or plan in place for when you will depart the company?
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my inquiries.
Regards,
Goretsky, Aryeh
Are you concerned that your use of Tor undermines its reputation as a respectable tool for online anonymity, in the same way that Bittorrent is frequently connected with piracy?
We trust that our use does not ruin its image as a legitimate instrument. Our mission is to provide people with access to a “truly free market,” while also protecting our users and ourselves. However, just like a knife, it may be used for both good and evil.
We can only hope that the media and government do not portray Tor as a weapon for “terrorists and criminals.”
How important is your physical location in running a business like yours? Would it be easier or tougher if you were in Somalia or on a ship in international waters?
We have team members from all over the world. Physical location, in my opinion, is largely irrelevant. We can access our systems from anywhere, and the Tor hidden service network protects both our location and the server location.
What is the most unusual item you have ever sold?
Used sex toys/underwear (female vendor) and fig tree cuttings are the top two goods.
Was anyone ever caught up in a sting operation?
We haven’t had any incidents reported to us yet (most merchants are highly cautious and security sensitive), however we have read of a vendor who was caught on another market place in the past. The market was not to blame; rather, the vendor was careless with his operation and was thus discovered.
Atlantis is a little too young for any busts, but there have been Silk Road-related arrests, see http://www.gwern.net/Silk%20Road#safe Typically, they look like buyers being subjected to controlled deliveries, being turned in by their mothers, or sellers fucking up and selling off-Road, though in one Australian case, the seller was simply pulled over by a cop while going to the post office and
Do you own the servers that host the website in terms of IT infrastructure? What is the method by which the servers are linked to the internet? Is this a business leased line or a shady hacked cable modem:)
We employ dedicated servers provided by a hosting business, without getting into detail. Every server has a 100Mbit WAN connection.
Do you, by chance, automatically remove the EXIF data from the images on your site? Because some contain GPS data, names, and other identifying information, it appears that this may be used to easily follow people.
What brought you to this business, without going into any personal specifics (obviously)? In other words, formal vs informal education… Comp sci vs. MBA-style education… or anything you’re capable of saying
Also, as someone who is interested and has made half-hearted attempts to set up a bit/litecoin account but has given up due to different problems, am I correct in assuming that your main barrier to growth is the hurdles users must leap over to complete transactions? Or am I just a moron’s brain?
I’m afraid I can’t go into specifics about education.
If you need help getting started, let us know and we’ll lead you in the right direction. The apparent complexity of cryptocurrencies is unquestionably a barrier to expansion. Once you get your head around it, everything becomes relatively simple. Certain countries make it significantly easier to purchase Bitcoins/Litecoins than others.
When settling on a name for your company or website. Other than Atlantis, what other names did you consider? I appreciate the name it has now, but I’m curious about the thought process behind the site. I also enjoy your website! Thank you very much!
I can’t recall any of the other names we considered, possibly because they were all terrible. Atlantis was there from the start!
And again, thank you for using it.
Do you have a retirement strategy? As in, give up and let someone else take over after a year?
Everyone eventually gets caught. Even anonymous is an option. Usually via unending greed or pride.
The only busts on the anonymous thing have been the consequence of idiots being clumsy and then turning government informant to hand others out. Atlantis and For have reached a new level of obscurity. Sabu is a jerk.
What non-legal activities other than drugs are done through your site, and what are the most common non-drug things?
Other than traditional illegal substances, popular non-legal things include money management services, identity services (creating passports), and cybercrime (malware).
Books, digital commodities, legal money services, and erotica are among the most popular legal items.
How much do you get paid, and how do you create revenue as a business?
Also, in the most recent US presidential election, who did you vote for? (Or would have voted for if you don’t mind revealing your location).
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide financial details; however, the majority of our profits have been utilised to improve our firm. This includes employing new employees (we are now looking for a marketer) and upgrading our infrastructure as we expand.
How does a typical black market begin?
For us, cryptocurrencies, libertarianism, and technology are all important, and we saw an opportunity to create a free market place when SR was having regular downtime.
If I pay in bitcoins, I can see where the money came from and eventually who converted his dollars into bitcoins. How can I maintain my anonymity?
Perform a fast Google search for ‘bitcoin fog.’ It will erase all traces of your coins.
Is there anything on your website that you will not sell?
According to the guides:
Items that are restricted
Anything relating to paedophilia, poisons, loans, investment possibilities, assassination services, or anything that can cause harm to another person is prohibited. If you violate these rules, we will immediately deactivate your account.
Trading any digital currencies (for example, Bitcoins, Litecoins, Ukash, Moneypak, Western Union, Moneygram, and so on) is prohibited and will result in the items being deleted and the vendor receiving a warning or ban. This is done to avoid scams. (Exceptions to this rule are listed below.)
Trading in counterfeit money is prohibited and will result in a warning or ban.
We also do not allow 0.01 listings in the money area. To prevent people from conducting transactions outside of the escrow system, your items must have a complete cost associated with them.
Items that are not restricted:
We accept actual cash in exchange for Bitcoins and/or Litecoins (has to be legitimate currency; not counterfeit). This is the one time the currency rule does not apply. We do not, however, allow the opposite of these transactions, i.e. customers mailing vendors real dollars, because this is outside the scope of the escrow system.
For example, if you were a vendor and wanted to buy $1000 worth of Bitcoins/Litecoins, you could do so by creating a $1000 listing labelled “Buying $1000 worth of Bitcoins/Litecoins,” and then mailing the real currency to the purchaser of your listing in exchange for their Bitcoins/Litecoins that are currently travelling through the escrow system.
My issue may have been buried, so I’ll ask it again: You state that the vendor must submit a tracking number in order for escrow monies to be released. Isn’t this jeopardising the entire process? A tracking number has a beginning and an ending…
The vendor is not required to submit a tracking number in order for the escrow money to be released. If the individual who ordered the item receives it, they can release the funds needed to fulfil the order.
How much money do you make?
(Can you give us a range?) Is the money versus risk worth it?
Unfortunately, we cannot disclose how much we earn; nevertheless, all of our proceeds have been used to improve our platform. We are more proud of establishing a real free market than of the dollars earned.
What does it mean to be a “confirmed member”?
Have you captured any con artists yet?
What is the advantage of Atlantis vs SR?
“confirmed member” (do you mean Verified Seller?):
A confirmed seller is a member of another blackmarket who has a good reputation and a lot of positive comments. To carry their reputation with them, a user with a verified seller badge on our platform must use the same username they use on the other market. If buyers from other marketplaces see the same username on our market, they can be positive they are dealing with the same seller.
Yes, we have caught scammers, but we have quickly banned them. We recently implemented additional modifications to assist limit the number of scams; all feedback now includes the price of the purchase, preventing users from giving phoney feedback on $0.01 listings. It also includes a ‘anonymous’ user ID so that sellers/buyers may confirm whether the user submitting feedback has previously left feedback. This aids in the detection of scammers who leave false feedback. Because the ID is unique to the seller/buyer pairing, it cannot be traced across transactions to discover a buyer’s purchasing habits.
There are a few advantages:
There has been no downtime.
We have lower commision rates, which allows sellers to make more profit on their transactions and buyers to purchase them for less.
For members who refuse to submit their messages using PGP, we offer automated PGP encryption. We have an improved fan management system that enables vendors to communicate with all of their customers.
We now have a’modern’ user interface.
We have received buyer feedback (all other markets only have seller feedback)
We accept both Litecoin and Bitcoin (the first market to support multiple currencies).
We pay attention to customer comments, have a quick development cycle, and new features are continually being enhanced and introduced.
The same reason rappers can rap about doing drugs: simply admitting you did something isn’t enough proof that you did it.
Hi. After roughly 5 years of lurking, I’ve never posted or commented on Reddit. This is far too exciting a chance to pass up.
How many hours do you work every week on average? What do you do for enjoyment outside of work? What genres of music do you enjoy?
It’s become a full-time job for us at this point. We don’t go a day without working on Atlantis.
I’d love to answer those questions, but they’re a little too personal for me.
What is the super secret URL to Atlantis? I’m quite sure this is a “noob” enquiry. I know what sr is and how to get there. Please and thank you for your PM:DD
It is never too late. It’s honestly rather frightening. Tor, SSL, PGP, and OTR are all tools in your arsenal.
Although this is not a new development, the NSA has been doing it for years. I suppose it has finally caught up with them.
We haven’t taken any new precautions as a result of this; we were already doing them.
Assume someone purchases narcotics from your website and it is intercepted by the postal service. What becomes of the buyer? The vendor can definitely get away with it if he has half a brain, but the buyer is screwed.
If customs flags the parcel, the buyer will receive a seizure notice informing them that contraband was identified in a parcel intended to them. Some countries will demand a fee for disposing of the products, depending on the country. Others will simply notify the customer and take no further action until you continue to create them.
There is no way for them to prove that you ordered the item with domestic shipping because anyone can send goods to another person.
Unless the buyer has previously been observed getting many shipments, nothing happens to them – as long as they deny everything. Anything can be sent to any name or address. How can you tell the difference between someone ordering drugs and someone who had drugs mailed to their name and address as part of a defamation attempt?
What do you do to keep cops from conducting sting operations on your property?
Nothing. It wouldn’t matter because of how the system is set up. Vendors are safe as long as they don’t ship crap in the wrong way.
What makes Atlantis different from undercover law enforcement buying from undercover law enforcement?
What’s to stop the DEA from simply establishing a sting and cracking down on your buyers?
How are they going to accomplish this? By creating a bogus vendor account that never distributes actual drugs? Or how?
The DEA is free to do whatever it takes to catch drug dealers, as long as no drugs are released back onto the streets.
You mentioned tracked delivery; is it a requirement that your vendors employ tracked delivery? I question because wouldn’t this need the customer to sign for the delivery? In that instance, the customer is screwed if the delivery is controlled.
Edit: One more question. Do you have a catchy moniker like DPR? If not, may I recommend Poseidon?
Are there any books or websites you recommend for someone interested in learning more about how cryptography works and possibly working in it?
Google will provide access to all of the resources. I’m not aware of any books that cover all of the themes, although I’m sure they exist. A thorough understanding of Tor is not required for use, but it will come in handy if you are hosting a business over the Tor network.
Do you have any suppliers in India?
Please provide some internet anonymity tips.
We currently have no Indian suppliers, but this will change over time. However, there are several vendors who will ship to India.
Using trustworthy VPNs, proxy services, and Tor are some ways for being anonymous on the internet. We also advise you to disable third-party browser add-ons that have the potential to leak your IP address (Java/Flash).
How does one gain access to this’marketplace’? When I try to connect to any links to things or webpages, I receive problems.
How do you typically ensure the security of your “business” and the buyer?
Do you ever deliver in large quantities?
Are there any vendors with whom you work who appear to be a legal entity?
What are your personal political beliefs, and how do you feel about particular themes such as child pornography, necrophilia, or any other cultural taboos that are usually done at the expense of another unwilling person?
What are your favourite non-drug products?
How did you get into this line of work, and do you wish you could be doing anything else with your life that doesn’t involve the risk of arrest?
Is your organisation white collar, or do you have employees who use violence and intimidation?
Is government bribery frequent in your organisation?
I doubt this individual can actually provide proof due to the nature of what s/he does, but any way, it’s intriguing, real or not.
Suspicion may emerge if the delivery person detects a change in names over time, which is why most people advocate using your true name and address so that it fits in with usual traffic, which we have found to be correct in our experience.
Regarding the other topic, we don’t believe the USPS will ever be killed; they could simply push laws in their favour, citing “terrorist concerns”:)
If a security flaw was discovered and exploited in the application (not TOR,.onion, but Atlantis), it might do significant damage (loss of bitcoins, reputation, etc.).
What actions do you take to secure online applications? Do you have a staff working on it, or how do you approach security?
And I’m presuming that if you were “attacked,” you couldn’t go to the police or other authorities?
I’ve always been curious about these things, so thank you for your time – and good success with your business:-)
We’ve taken security precautions to secure our systems in the event of a breach, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable discussing the technical details. We have an experienced team with years of experience in the security industry.
In the event of a breach, our reputation would be seriously harmed, and you’re correct that we couldn’t go to the authorities; but, I’m confident in our preventative procedures.
I understand the anonymity of Tor and Bitcoin, as well as how the seller can protect themselves by not having a return address and using prepaid envelopes….but….how do the packages of some of the drugs not get nabbed in the mail? Weed/cocaine/heroine/ketomine all have a scent that a dog could easily pick up. Do the sellers simply wrap it well?
Are the sellers able to guarantee that their product will be delivered? And if the box is discovered, what prevents the law from simply coming up at your house after it has been delivered and arresting you?
How easy is it to frame someone using a webservice like this? If person A despises person B and orders narcotics to his address, it is extremely difficult for person B to establish he did not make those illicit purchases….
So…you’re an online drug dealer? How is this legal, or how are you avoiding prosecution? I’m not aware of any countries/territories where selling heroin would be permitted.
We are not a dealer; we provide a platform for dealers to sell their products in a secure atmosphere, and the Tor network hides our service from government agents; if you’re interested, look into “Tor hidden services.”
It’s not legal, but it’s acknowledged that people in Afghanistan sell opium and heroin, and the government ignores it.
You indicate in one of your other posts that vendors mail their orders to buyers.
Wouldn’t this allow police to locate and identify vendors by posing as buyers?
Perhaps if we approach HSBC / Wachovia (now Wells Fargo), they will be able to offer us a special discount like they have in the past 😉
In all seriousness, we are unable to provide this service since you would be putting straight into the bank account of a drug-related website, which appears to be an excellent way to get caught.
We will, however, gladly welcome Coinbase coin transfers!
We founded the market with libertarianism in mind, and we feel the drug war is a failure that causes more harm than good.
Although there is the possibility of assisting someone who is potentially harmful, we do not offer items that can cause harm to others, such as guns, poisons, or assassination services. In general, 99% of the people we deal with on a daily basis are pleasant, friendly people.