Buying fake ID from the dark web : an unbiased view.

The Dark Web : not just for kiddiefiddlers and nutters anymore

The “dark web”, as it is spookily nicknamed by sensationalist journalists, is simply a set of web pages that are reachable only through a special protocol. TOR – the onion router – routes traffic through various layers (like an onion), with the intent of obscuring the true source of the page and also protecting the user. In theory this works well enough, but users have been identified as TOR users by analysing traffic patterns.

Dark Web or Dark Net Markets (DNMs) were immensely popular over the last few years, selling all sorts of crazy stuff like drugs, guns, stolen identities and illegal pornography etc. According to research, 80% of the items sold on DNMs were drugs or drug related. In recent times many of the markets have been shut down, compromised or infiltrated by law enforcement.

As with any transaction that breaks the law where you live, you have no recourse to the authorities should you fall victim to a scammer. Dark Net Markets implemented review mechanisms and seller ratings to reduce scamming activity.

Fake ID sales on DNMs were predominantly for driver’s licences and passports. For reasons discussed in our Spot the Difference page, we believe that it was not actually possible to purchase a 100% accurate replica passport from any vendor.

Up until about 2018, the dark web was a popular place to buy fake IDs. More recently, Fake ID sellers have moved to the “Clearnet”, the standard Web browsing experience open to anybody. The increased adoption of cryptocurrency and the entrance of Chinese fake ID makers create a perfect environment for easy purchasing of fake documents. They’re still not immune from arrest though.

Using TOR or I2P to browse dark net sites is not exactly a user-friendly experience, which likely hampered market penetration. It has become far easier in recent years to buy cryptocurrency, and some Clearnet fake ID vendors even accept bank transfers or PayPal.

It’s our opinion that there is no clear advantage in buying illegal fake ID from a dark net source. It is also quite likely that vendors operating on the Dark Net also operate a parallel site on the Clearnet.

If you are insistent on purchasing illegal 100% replica fake ID cards from a website, we’d recommend reading some of the review sites in order to gain a clearer insight.

Many of these review sites offer a Verified Vendor List which supposedly lists sites that are guaranteed to deliver. Bear in mind, they could be operated by an unscrupulous scammer.

⚠ As always, none of the above is legal advice and we would caution against entering into any transaction with an illegal fake ID vendor.