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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.
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3 min read4 days ago
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.
