Fishnpal – TOR Scam Report (1)
Onion Link: http://56dlutemceny6ncaxolpn6lety2cqfz5fd64nx4ohevj4a7ricixwzad.onion
Scam Report Date: 2024/10/10
Client Scam Report Breakdown
Original Report Summary:
In a recent scam report, the victim stated, “Sent them $75 BTC for $500 in an Amazon gift card and they never responded.” This incident is a typical example of a fraud scheme operating within the darknet marketplace ecosystem. The scammer promised a $500 Amazon gift card at a significantly reduced price of $75 in Bitcoin (BTC), a common bait tactic used to lure buyers into believing they are getting a substantial deal. The site offering this “deal” prominently features sections such as “Gift Cards,” “PayPal Accounts,” and “Full CC Infos,” where users are encouraged to make purchases using cryptocurrency. In this case, the buyer was misled into thinking they would receive a valid gift card code for a fraction of its value, only to be ghosted after making the payment.
The report highlights an ongoing issue with marketplaces on the dark web that sell allegedly “pre-mined” gift cards and credit card information. The advertised service claims these codes are ready for immediate use and even includes steps to bypass fraud detection, such as pairing purchases with proxy servers to mask a user’s identity. However, as demonstrated by the report, these fraudulent shops often disappear after receiving the payment, leaving victims with no means of recourse. This marketplace, which boasts about being “verified” on the Hidden Wiki and other darknet forums, uses its long-standing reputation and customer reviews to entice new buyers. The fraudulent nature of such claims becomes evident when transactions like the one detailed in the scam report occur, where the seller fails to deliver the promised product and cuts off all communication.
Terminology and Dark Web Practices
To better understand the nature of this scam, it’s essential to break down some of the key terminology. The user paid for the product in “BTC,” which refers to Bitcoin, a decentralized digital currency often used in darknet transactions due to its pseudonymous nature. Bitcoin transactions are irreversible, meaning once the payment is made, it cannot be retrieved unless the seller cooperates, making it a favored method for scammers. The term “pre-mined gift cards” mentioned on the site refers to gift card codes that are supposedly generated or hacked, allowing the buyer to redeem them for a lower price than the actual value. These codes are allegedly vetted to pass through the CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) system, which verifies the integrity of the code when processed by platforms like Amazon or eBay.
The scam report also touches upon the promise of “immediate delivery” after payment, a feature that plays on the anonymity and immediacy of darknet services. Many scammers create an illusion of instant access to purchased items, which makes it even more appealing for buyers looking to make quick purchases without waiting. However, the victim’s complaint of not receiving any response after sending the payment reveals the dark reality behind these schemes. In these transactions, once the cryptocurrency is transferred, the buyer is left without a trail to follow, and since the dark web operates outside traditional regulatory frameworks, there are no customer service recourses available. Scammers leverage this lack of accountability to make quick profits and then vanish, as seen in this case.
Scammer Tactics and Recommendations
The tactics employed by the scammer in this case are part of a larger pattern of behavior found on darknet marketplaces. The promise of gift cards, credit card information, and digital goods at deeply discounted rates is a hallmark of these scams. To attract buyers, scammers often flaunt fake user satisfaction rates—like the 90% satisfaction rate touted on this site—and claim to be verified by external sources such as the Hidden Wiki. These claims are designed to build trust with new users unfamiliar with how these darknet operations function. By providing fake feedback and claiming to have been in business for over six years, the marketplace behind this scam positions itself as a legitimate service.
Unfortunately, for users like the one in the report, once the payment is sent, they become victims of a common scam known as “exit scamming,” where a seller takes the payment and then disappears without fulfilling their end of the bargain. To avoid such scams, potential buyers should look for trusted community reviews, verify the shop’s reputation independently, and avoid making large upfront payments in cryptocurrency. Most importantly, they should be aware that any claims of pre-hacked, pre-mined, or cracked codes are almost always fraudulent. Scams involving discounted gift cards and cryptocurrency-based purchases have become increasingly common, and victims should exercise extreme caution when navigating such environments.
