Member-only story
I Stalked a Scammer on the Dark Web Here’s What I Learned About OSINT
How hackers hide in the shadows… and how investigators drag them into the light.
The Day My Identity Went Up for Sale
In 2021, I received an alert that my email and credit card details were being auctioned on a dark web forum for $12.50. I wasn’t shocked — I was furious. But instead of panicking, I spent the next three months learning how to fight back. What started as a personal mission turned into a crash course in OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) and dark web forensics. Here’s what you need to know.
The Dark Web Isn’t What You Think
Forget Hollywood’s hooded hackers. The dark web is more like a digital black market flea — clunky, chaotic, and weirdly mundane:
- Access: Requires Tor Browser (think: a VPN on steroids).
- Content: Stolen data, drugs, fake passports… and endless catfish scams.
- Surprise: Most dark web users aren’t masterminds. One seller I tracked used their real Instagram handle in a Bitcoin transaction.
Why Investigators Care:
- Ransomware Groups: Like LockBit, who post victim data if payments fail.
- Human Trafficking: Hidden forums where predators share tactics.
OSINT: The Art of Finding Needles in the Internet’s Haystack
OSINT is about connecting public dots — social media, satellite images, even pizza orders — to uncover secrets. Think of it as Google Fu meets Sherlock Holmes.
Real-World OSINT Wins:
- Boston Marathon Bombing: Reddit users (controversially) ID’d suspects using crowd-sourced photos.
- Ukrainian Conflict: Volunteers geolocate troop movements via TikTok videos and weather patterns.
My Humble Win: I reverse-image-searched a scammer’s profile picture and found it stolen from a Brazilian dentist’s LinkedIn.
