Dark-web drug dealers turn to selling face masks and unregistered testing kits in bid to cash in on coronavirus pandemic
- Drug dealers are selling 1,000 boxes of facemasks for £3,000 on dark web
- They are also selling drugs ‘for COVID-19’ which they warn are ‘very potent’
- Illegal drug sales have gone down amid social distancing measures, officials say
- Learn more about how to help people impacted by COVID
Dark-web drug dealers have resorted to selling face masks and fake coronavirus testing kits amid the pandemic.
Account users that usually advertise illegal substances are now offering personal protective equipment (PPE), unverified antibody testing kits and medicines instead.
One is selling a box of 1,000 surgical face masks for just over £3,000, while another offers ‘very potent’ drugs that claim to treat COVID-19.
The amount of illegal drugs being smuggled in to the UK has dropped in the face of international lockdown conditions, driving prices up, according to the National Crime Agency.
An dark-web advert shows 1,000 boxes of surgical facemasks being sold for just over £3,000
One account user is selling unverified antibody testing kits for around £35 each
Dealers are disguising themselves as key workers to try to avoid detection when out on the street, but many are operating online, experts from security firm Digital Shadows say.
Threat research analyst Alex Guirakhoo said: ‘Cyber criminals who typically engage in the sale of illicit drugs have seen the opportunity to diversify their listings to include sales of face masks, hand sanitiser, and now even chloroquine on popular cyber criminal marketplaces like Empire.
‘For those vendors not involved in the sale of personal protective equipment (PPE), Covid-19-related terms have also been used to promote their drug sales.
‘Listings which include terms like ‘coronavirus sale!’ alongside heavy discounts are now common on all major cyber criminal forums and marketplaces.
Account users that usually advertise illegal substances are now offering personal protective equipment (PPE), unverified antibody testing kits and medicines instead. File image used
One is selling a box of 1,000 surgical face masks for just over £3,000, while another offers ‘very potent’ drugs that claim to treat COVID-19 (pictured)
Another account advertises facemasks with a fog face air valve
‘This is likely an attempt to keep their businesses going and attract customers who have been financially impacted by the pandemic.
‘It is also realistically possible that cyber criminals are attempting to capitalise on customers impacted by shelter in place orders.
‘If people cannot physically meet their dealers, they may be more enticed to purchase drugs on the dark web.’
Digital Shadows analysts have seen users of Russian and English language forums pondering how to cash in, with one asking: ‘Who thinks what about this? How to get the maximum benefit from quarantine? It will not be forever.’
Earlier this week, the NCA warned that there had been £1.8 million of fraud linked to the pandemic.
It has shut down six domains since the outbreak of the virus to stop cyber attackers trying to steal personal data.
Investigators also took down a website trying to lure customers into buying non-existent PPE, and arrested two men on suspicion of illegally selling COVID-19 testing kits and making false claims about their efficacy.
