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Teddy's Guide to buying candy on the Internet

Buying drugs in person can be a painful maze to navigate. You could end up in a dangerous situation, spending too much, getting a low quality product, and finding alternatives can be next to impossible. Buying drugs online solves most of these issues but is inaccessible to most people. This guide is intended to reduce harm by showing you a safer alternative.

The purpose of this guide is to educate users on how to safely access and purchase drugs from the dark web. This will discuss topics necessary to do before, during, and after buying drugs online. This includes accessing the dark web, anonymous shipping, cryptocurrencies and drugs.

Accessing the dark web can be difficult but using this guide will help you stay safe online. This guide will go over using a VPN to hide your traffic from your internet provider, using TOR to hide your identity from the internet, and using PGP to communicate with vendors so the market you are using can't see any sensitive information you might be sending.

Those who find this article helpful are likely comfortable with a computer, familiarity with the web, and are able to download and install applications on their computer safely.

VPN

One of the problems with using the internet is that your internet provider can still see what you are doing. If you're using a VPN it will hide your traffic from your internet provider, making it harder for them to track what you are doing. Internet providers shouldn't be trusted for a number of reasons, including their ability to be hacked or their cooperation with local and federal governments.

To get started simply pick a VPN service, download their application and follow their instructions. Most sites will make you create an account with them, even on the free tiers.

Services

Here's a list of VPN providers I found that provide free and pro plans. Pro plans generally offer more locations and faster speeds.

Tor

Tor hides your meta information from the website you are visiting by going through multiple proxies, or layers of indirection. This makes it harder for a website to identify you. These websites will still collect information you give them such as usernames, searches, and other information you type into their website.

A proxy is a layer of indirection. For example if you go to google.com the owner of that website can see who you are. If you add a proxy you'd go to proxy.com and they'll go to google.com for you, which makes it harder to identify you. However, now proxy.com knows information about you. Imagine going through multiple proxies, so your identity and sensitive information is protected. This is the basic idea of what Tor does automatically to protect you.

Tor Browser

The simplest way to start using Tor is by using the Tor Browser, which sets up most things for you.

The Tor Browser is an easy to download and use web browser. Simply download it and use it just like any browser. It has some additional security features such as disabling JavaScript by default, making your window size standard, and spoofing things such as your operating system so it's harder for websites to gather any meta information about you.

Download the Tor Browser

PGP

Almost anywhere you go on the deep web you'll be using PGP to send sensitive data, including shipping addresses and discussions about purchases. This is essential to understand in order to protect yourself in the deep web.

The main reason to use PGP is to encrypt your shipping address when ordering online. This means nobody will know your address except the vendor. Most vendors claim to throw away shipping addresses after the labels are created.

The basic idea is that when you use PGP you'll have a private key and a public key that are paired together. As the names imply you need to keep the private key hidden so only you can access it, but you should feel free to share your public key on the internet. When people have your public key they can create messages only you can read with your private key.

Some markets have the ability to encrypt messages for you, but be warned this means the marketplace would need to be fully trusted and our inability to trust a marketplace is one of the main reasons we use PGP at all.

Usage

PGP is intimidating to most people, so if you're looking for an easier experience I recommend using a desktop application. There are a lot of different clients not listed on that website, so feel free to search around and see which one works for you.

For the most advanced users you can use the command line tool.

If you're new to PGP, try creating a private keys and encrypting/decrypting messages a few times. This will be intimidating at first so play around with this until you feel comfortable with it. Remember, if you place an order online incorrectly it'll simply be rejected by the vendor and you can try again.

Markets

Imagine going to a website that sells one specific item. They might have “customer reviews,” but how sure are you that you can trust it? This is where markets come in. An independent entity can provide a common place for buyers to feel confident that sellers are legitimate and sell good products. Most markets have rating systems on sellers, and sometimes the buyers too. When buying a product you can see how many orders the seller has had and some rank that the seller has.

It's worth pointing out that because some markets have ratings on buyers, it's not uncommon for new accounts to be ignored. I'd suggest starting by buying something small, legal, and/or digital. This will boost your ranking in the market and encourage others to accept your orders.

Discovery

The way I found quite a few markets was just a quick search for “dark web markets.” Watch out for fake phishing links that exist to steal your password or cryptocurrencies.

Once you've found a market, you can just keep reading it to find more markets. You'll often notice sellers mention other markets listed on their profile. Keep a record of markets and their addresses.

Markets

Here are some markets I've discovered, in alphabetical order. There are no guarantee these markets still exist when you're reading this, but it's a starting point when searching for one.

Validation

When visiting a market, they often have a list of “official mirrors.” You should write down this list. I recommend putting it as a comment in your password manager.

When logging in or sending money, ensure the domain you're using is in your official list. If it's not, search for it online and see if anybody can validate the domain.

Account Security

Most markets don't have the option to provide an email address when you sign up, which you might look over. However, what happens when you forget your password? They can't email you to recover your account. Some allow you to reset your password with a single 4 digit pin. Being proactive will help keep your account safe.

PGP 2FA

Luckily, a lot of markets ask for your pubic PGP key, and it's treated as a first class citizen, since everybody registering will have one already. This could be used to help with logging in. If you aren't familiar with 2FA, it basically adds some additional login requirements to your account. In most cases, a site will use your public PGP key to encrypt a message only you can decrypt, so after you decrypt it you'll paste it into the login screen to validate you have the private PGP key.

Uniqueness

Using a different username for each website will help avoid linking your activity between websites together. It should go without saying you should be using a different password for each one. If this is difficult, you might investigate using a password manager.

Think it through

Not every market will have every account security feature. It's best to try and break into your own account and identify your weak points. Can you request a new password? Can you guess your password?

It's also important to think about physical vulnerabilities such as writing down your password on a sticky note next to your computer. Or leaving the market open on your laptop for long periods of time. It might be best to only log on when you are alone and stay on for as short amount of time as possible.

Don't become a target for Social Engineering where people use social vulnerabilities to get you to open up or reveal secret information. It's best to keep your secrets to a close set of friends. Don't reveal anyting about the dark web, online markets or anything else listed in this guide.

Shipping

In most cases, just use a real address. Most vendors know how to ship things without them getting seized. Don't buy from manufacturers with low to no reviews from customers until you know more about what you're doing.

However, if you still want a way to receive mail anonymously this section is for you.

Getting a PO Box under a fake name

You'd want a fake address if you don't trust the vendor. To obtain one you'll need a photo ID and proof of your address.

Photo ID

You can order these on the dark web. I did a quick search and I found “US Fake IDs” where you can order a drivers license from various states. You can do a search for “deep web fake ID guide” to find more vendors if this one goes down. Do your research on the vendor if you end up not ordering from an online market.

Proof of Address

The easiest way to do this is to download a digital bill and modifying it in Word or a similar program. This is manually verified by the post office, so as long as it looks like a bill or mortgage they'll accept it.

Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is the most common currency used for purchasing products online because it's fast, secure, and anonymous. The biggest drawbacks I noticed were in obtaining the bitcoins and transaction fees.

Obtaining Bitcoins

There are many services you can use to purchase bitcoin using: bank transfers, credit cards, and even cash. Each has their pros and cons.

Bank transfers are a great way to get a lot of bitcoin, but can also take 5-14 days to process and by that time the bitcoin rate could have changed and you could end up needing to get more, or have some left over.

Credit cards will be more instant, but services will often block cards they think might be fraudulent. Online services where you register for an account start you out with a smaller card limit, but after a few purchases will raise it.

Using cash is probably the most anonymous way to purchase Bitcoin since most don't require you to verify your identity, but because transactions aren't instant, beware of scams.

Don't send bitcoins from where you purchased them directly to a market or vendor, read the section on “Shuffling” first.

Transaction Fees

Credit cards have fees, but these are often paid by the vendor. The reason these transaction fees exist is because it takes real servers to process transactions, and keeping those servers running isn't free. This still happens with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

When lots of transactions are happening, fees will go up. And when very few transactions are happening, they will go down. This is because transaction fees are similar to bidding to have your transaction processed.

You can usually select how much of a fee you are willing to pay, but the lower the fee the more likely the chance of the transaction being lost and you could lose your Bitcoins. A lot of Bitcoin Wallets will suggest how much you should use.

Wallets

Electrum is currently the highest rated wallet on Bitcoin's website. You simply download the open source application that works on most computers, then create a wallet without giving any personal information, and you'll be able to send and receive Bitcoins within the application.

Choosing a wallet can be difficult, and if you're looking for more options check out Bitcoin's Guide to choosing a bitcoin wallet.

You can either download Electrum or choose a bitcoin wallet to store your bitcoins.

Shuffling

Bitcoins are anonymous, but you can trace them back. It's a common practice to “shuffle” your Bitcoins. Basically, this means sending your coins through a handful of different wallets before they get to the destination so it's harder to trace. A common way of doing this is to create multiple wallets and send your coins from one wallet to another before sending to a vendor or marketplace.

A basic example would be to buy some coins and send it to your public wallet, then send it to your private wallet you made under a VPN or on the dark net. Next, either send to the vendor or market.

More advanced techniques could be sending partial payments to multiple wallets and eventually collecting them back into a single wallet or market at the end, or using a service such as Bitcoin Mixer.

Password Managers

While having a password manager isn't necessary to be safe online, this section will be used to talk more about them.

When you register for a website you could use the password manager to create a strong unique password that you can look up later. These managers will store this information in an encrypted format using a password you set.

Using a password manager makes it harder for people to guess your password, steal it from you or copy it from another website.

Picking one

Common password managers include 1Password, KeePass, or LastPass. They are all very similar, but vary in pricing and where your information is stored.

Drugs

One common concern when ordering drugs online is knowing you're receiving a quality product. You should always learn as much as you can about the type of drug you are purchasing, such as common things it could be cut with, how to store it, and how long it will last.

For example, MDMA stored in the right conditions can last longer than you. However, magic mushrooms stored in the right conditions will lose potency over time and last no longer than a few years.

Knowing common things about each drug helps you undestand what to worry about the substance having or not having in it, which can help you identify your test plan.

Vendors

Find a vendor with good reviews over a long period of time. Read their entire profile carefully, and read a few of their other product listings. Be sure to read the reviews on the vendor and the reviews of the product you want to order and products similar to it.

Vendors often change product listings for various sizes, so no reviews on the product you're buying isn't always a bad thing. For example, if they have no reviews on the 2g of MDMA doesn't mean it's a new product if they have hundreds of reviews on the more commonly sold 1g of MDMA.

Reagents

A reagent is a test you can perform on unknown substances to detect the presence of certain chemicals. By adding a reagent to a small sample of your substance, it will change colors revealing the possibility of it being a known substance. You can get reagent kits for as low as $35.

Most reagents will react to the substances within a few seconds, but some are more complex and can take a few minutes to react. Be sure to read all the instructions on your reagents and check the reaction card that came with it, or look up the reaction card online.

Since false positives can exist with a single reagent, testing with multiple reagents can help better identify substances. Using multiple reagents can also help distinguish between two similar substances such as being able to tell MDA and MDMA apart.

There are lots of different reagents you might be interested in, depending on the substances you plan on buying. You can buy reagents individually and in kits. Both Elevation Chemicals and Dance Safe offer kits.

Storage

Time, oxygen, and light are the most common things to consider when storing your drugs. I'd suggest storing drugs in many small air-tight amber glass containers inside a dark closet or cabinet. The amber glass (and cobalt blue) helps protect against UV rays. Being in a small air-tight container helps protect against oxygen exposure, since opening up a large container with all of your substances would re-expose everything to oxygen again.