In the shadowy corners of the internet, anonymity isn’t just a smart move—it’s essential. So, how can I pay on the dark web without leaving a trail? You can enter the “Deposit” section on our site, deposit any currency of your choice to your wallet through bank transfer, credit card, or crypto, and swap them into XMR (Monero) in the “Exchange” section. Now, you can pay Dark web vendors using your wallet.
In this guide, we’ll break down the full process of acquiring XMR, help you spot red flags from shady vendors, and show you how to build a solid op-sec routine to keep your identity safe.
How to Buy & Use Monero: A Step-by-Step Guide
Since its inception, blockchain tech has been burdened with the issue of complexity. The learning curve of using something as simple and accessible as Bitcoin is enough to turn a lot of people off to the entire concept. Considering the added complexity of darknet-friendly cryptocurrencies, most users struggle with the same question — how can I pay on the dark web without compromising my anonymity?
There are plenty of ways to obtain XMR, but most tend to involve multiple platforms, transactions, wallets, and fees. That said, if you’re a PlasBit user, there’s a simple, straightforward process that requires no technical skills or special knowledge. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of buying Monero via bank wire:
Step 1: Log in to PlasBit. And go into the deposit section.
Step 2: Enter the amount and choose the payment method.
You can review the fee structure for other payment methods on this page.
Step 3: Locate PlasBit's bank information on the deposit page. Use them to make a bank transfer from your bank account.
*Please keep in mind that the name on the bank account from which you make the transfer must match the name registered to your PlasBit account. Due to regulatory changes, joint accounts are often declined.
Don't forget to write down the referral code and put it under "Notes" so that we can speed up verifying the deposit landed.
Step 4: Once the funds have been deposited into your wallet, navigate over to the "Exchange" section.
Step 5: In the "Amount to Buy" field, select XMR from the pop-up window
Step 6: In the "Amount to Sell" field, select EUR and enter the amount to exchange.
Step 7: Click “Buy XMR with EUR".
Step 8: Double-check your order details and hit "Submit order".
Step 9: Once the XMR is in your wallet, go to the "wallet" section, choose XMR from the dropdown menu, and click withdraw.
Step 10: Enter the address of the vendor to which you intend to send the payment.
What Can You Buy on the Darknet?
The darknet bears its rightfully shady reputation because of illegal activity, but there is a bit more to it than black market deals. Let's break down the main darknet commodities into two categories: legal and illegal items.
Legal Items
While the dark web may, by all appearances, seem an odd place to uncover legit products and services, they do very much exist.
● Privacy Tools
Think you're being tracked online? Want more anonymity? The dark web is a goldmine for privacy tools that go beyond what's offered at the mainstream market. You get VPN services that are designed to be used with complete anonymity, encrypted email platforms, and communication platforms that put privacy as a focus. This is to ensure no one-governments, corporations, or whoever else-can snoop into your activities.
● Data Storage/Hosting
Need a place to store sensitive files or host a website without any censorship? Tor-based anonymous data hosting services are designed for maximum privacy and are consequently utilized by whistleblowers and political activists. They cater to users who need protection from prying eyes.
● Banned Books and Restricted Documents
This is probably not of much interest to people living in the first-world, but there are still plenty of places where books and historical documents are banned by repressive regimes.
Illegal Items
● Prescription & Recreational Drugs
Darknet markets or DNMs host a variety of vendors who offer everything from recreational drugs to prescription medications. Sure, most of the drugs being sold on these markets are narcotics, but some are low-cost alternatives to prescription drugs that can be life-saving.
● Stolen Data
Lots of personal info comes from data breaches and phishing scams. What's worse is that this information is super affordable, even for an average criminal. A complete identity profile may cost as little as $30.
● Counterfeit Documents
From fake passports and driver's licenses to social security numbers, the dark web has an ongoing black market in counterfeit documents. And these are not always poorly designed forgeries; some are convincing enough to fool almost anyone.
● Hacking
Where do criminals go when they’re looking to infect or clone a system? Dark web hackers are happy to assist them for a fee. Meanwhile, those looking for hacking tools will find a variety of botnets, ransomware kits, and keyloggers on most DNMs.
Financial Info Is More Accessible Than You Might Think
The darknet is a bustling marketplace for stolen financial data, and the surplus is driving prices down to ridiculously low levels. Here’s a quick rundown of the average prices for various forms of stolen financial info:
Data Type
Average “Going” Price
Social Security Number & Name Pair
$0.50 - $2
Credit Card Details
(CVV included)
$15 - $120
Bank Account Credentials
(guaranteed minimum balance of around $2,000)
$100 - $400
PayPal Account
(assuming balance around $200-$1000)
$25-$120
Complete ID Profiles a.k.a. “Fullz”
(includes names, addresses, DOBs, credit card numbers, expiration dates, security codes, and SSNs.)
$30
Cryptocurrency Account
(Minimal guaranteed balances are around $300-$1500)
$50-$250
Dark Web Extortion: The Case of u/iforgiveapolo
If you're still unconvinced the darknet is a bad place, just consider that the below case study is a widely reported, commonly-occuring scenario.
During 2023, u/iforgiveapolo shared an unsettling experience involving an extortion attempt that originated from a dark web data leak. This user’s personal information was part of a data breach in which hackers had obtained their details. That information was sold on a darknet marketplace, where a cybercriminal was able to buy it for pennies on the dollar.
Once the hackers had this, the blackmailing messages started coming in. The first one was an email from his own account, which is a classic trick designed to instill fear. The message claimed that hackers have full access to the victim’s life: browsing history, e-mails, and even compromising footage captured through the webcam on his device.
Then came the escalation. Messages started coming in more frequently, each one more menacing than the last. These hackers, in all likelihood, had nothing beyond the email address and name pair on which to base their terror campaign, but they created an incredibly realistic illusion of being in complete control of this user's online life. Ramping up the pressure, they attempted to wear down u/iforgiveapolo's resistance and hack into the anxiety of the victim.
After a series of messages, each more threatening than the last, u/iforgiveapolo said he made a payment in Monero in hopes the blackmail would stop. Of course, paying once rarely satisfies these types of criminals. Shortly after the payment, he received another message from the hacker with demands for more. He said he had more compromising material. This, of course, is how extortion usually works — the very moment a victim gives in to a demand, scammers start to push for more money.
As in many similar cases, refusing to comply early on can be the least harmful course of action, and so eventually, u/iforgiveapolo refused to further cooperate. The decision not to make further payments seems to have ended the ordeal. The threats stopped as the hackers slowly ran out of steam or realized their threats weren’t working anymore.
DNM Red Flags
Though anyone can fall victim to online extortion like u/iforgiveapolo, shopping on the dark web opens you up to a whole new list of additional scams. You need to tread carefully to avoid losing your XMR in this minefield of untrustworthy vendors and shady transactions. The good news is, most scammers aim for “low-hanging fruit”, so staying aware of the most common red flags can help protect you from the vast majority of darknet conmen. Before focusing on how can I pay on the dark web, it’s vital to ask yourself how you can do so safely.
Let’s quickly go over the seven biggest red flags to look out for when shopping on Tor.
1. Suspicious Reviews
Positive reviews alone do not make anyone trustworthy. In fact, the opposite is way more likely to be true. Reviews can be faked, especially when they are overly positive and seem to come out all in a very short period of time. If you discover an incredibly large amount of excellent reviews that are clustered within a week’s time, then they've probably been manipulated.
Fun fact: according to a Fakespot study on fake reviews, around 30% of online reviews are either paid or fake. On the dark web, where honesty isn't exactly the currency of choice, that percentage could be even higher.
2. Prices That Are Too Good to Be True
Sadly, the old adage is practically always true — if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. You may want to get something for an extremely low price, but this is where a lot of dark web scammers take advantage of the bait-and-switch method. In other words, they attract you with irresistible offers, and then once you transfer your payment, they turn out to be nothing, or else entirely different from what was ordered.
Scammers know that cheap prices override skepticism among buyers. Remember that real dark web vendors operate in risky environments, so why would they sell their goods for pennies when they could so easily charge higher rates?
3. Avoiding Direct Communication
Another dead giveaway is a vendor who either avoids talking directly to you or skirts your questions. Like any free market, the DNM is highly competitive, and communication is one of the most important factors customers look for. Serious, honest vendors will always respond to your messages, though some are known for taking their time.
Scams aside, if they will not even bother to communicate with you pre-transaction, imagine how much more unlikely it will be for them to assist you after, when they have your money.
4. Overly Aggressive or Pushy Sales Tactics
On the dark web, a real vendor isn't in need of applying heavy pressure to sell because his reputation and products would speak for themselves. In contrast to that, scammers take advantage of your sense of urgency, prompting you to fall into the Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) spiral. Well established vendors are never desperate to make a sale on the darknet.
5. Lack of Forum Activity
Well-established vendors typically have some type of activity on dark web forums. Be it answering questions, providing support, or just generally communicating with the community, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a way to contact them.
There should also be some discussion of their products by customers. Darknet forums are full of individuals committed to harm reduction, who routinely post detailed reviews complete with lab test results, malware success rates, trip reports, and other priceless information.
6. Recent/Unverifiable PGP Key
A trusted vendor will have an established PGP key, typically created months or even years ago, and they will encourage buyers to make use of it for added security. The entire point of a PGP key is to act as a proof of identity in an anonymous system. In other words, retaining the same PGP keys for a long time is a brand-building exercise for legit darknet vendors.
Scammers change their identities very often to avoid detection, and a recently issued key usually points to it. But sure, the new PGP key could simply indicate a vendor is new. It isn’t verifiable proof that you’re dealing with a sham identity created to fleece people. But would you bet your coin on the good will of an anonymous stranger? Scammers change their identities very often to avoid detection, and a recently issued key usually points to it.
7. Lack of Escrow Options
This last red flag is more like a crimson sail — you won’t miss it and you should never ignore it. Most dark web marketplaces will offer an escrow system whereby your funds are held securely until you have received the goods. If a seller offers no escrow or tries to convince you to pay outside of it, then it's almost certainly a scam. Escrow protects both buyer and seller against fraud and ensures the transaction goes off without a hitch.
Once you establish a relationship with a particular vendor and complete a handful of transactions, they can offer FE (Finalize Early) as an option that circumvents escrow. But even if you’ve been buying a certain product for years, that should never be the only option.
How to Stay Safe on Darknet Marketplaces
Even with tools like Tor and Monero, staying safe on the dark web is no easy task. In fact, darknet op-sec (operational security) has evolved into an entire science, with thousands of users worldwide hotly debating the best safety strategies on darknet forums like Dread. Here are a few Golden Rules to help you maintain a healthy dark web hygiene routine.
● Optimize Tor Security Settings
Always use the highest security settings in the Tor browser, as this doesn’t just protect you from spyware and surveillance. It also substantially diminishes your exposure to malicious actors that may try to make use of the vulnerabilities in your system.
● Different Identities
Never use any username, password, or personal data from your clearnet regular internet account on the dark web. Reusing credentials will quickly link your dark web activities to your real-world identity. And that doesn’t just mean replacing a few characters — you’ll need brand new pass phrases.
Pro Tip: Never store your passwords as word editor files. If you must depend on cheat sheets, at least opt for a password-protected note app.
● Use Reputable Escrow Services
As a general rule of thumb, you’re best off sticking to marketplaces that offer escrow services. For some rare items, you may need to transact directly with the seller. In this case, we highly recommend utilizing a trusted third-party escrow service for the purchase. What this does is that funds are held in limbo until both parties are pleased, greatly reducing scam probabilities.
● PGP Encrypt Your Communications
If for any reason one needs to communicate with any vendor, do so using PGP encryption. This adds another layer of security should anyone wish to intercept messages that are for your eyes and the eyes of the one with whom you are speaking.
Some marketplaces offer an automatic message encryption option, but that opens you up to risks, especially if the message contains personal information like a delivery address. As such, it makes a whole lot of sense to manually encrypt all of your own messages.
● Limit the Amount of Eggs in Your Basket
Only retain enough Monero in your hot wallet to complete your most immediate transaction, while keeping the remainder of the balance in your PlasBit account. This way, if the wallet is compromised, it will mitigate the losses that may be incurred.
This goes twice for on-platform wallets of any darknet site. Remember, even the biggest markets are constantly at risk of being shut down, and you won’t hear any warning shots before the market blows up.
Best Practices to Avoid Your Info from Leaking onto The Dark Web
If this new knowledge is leading you to wonder if your personal info is up for sale on the dark web, you’re not alone. And whether you frequent DNMs or not, improving your online security is pretty much the only way that could help keep your private data out of dark web markets. So let’s briefly review some of the most effective ways to ramp up your day-to-day security:
- Password Management: We’re not sure who still needs to hear this, but anything short of a long, complex password is unacceptable in our day and age. Personal information like birthdays or locations should never be featured in your passwords.
- Multi-Factor Authentication: Enable it and, if another person obtains your password, they will still need access to your phone or email to gain access to your accounts.
- Avoid Public Wi-Fi: Public networks are a field day for hackers.
- Keep Software Up-to-Date: Procrastinating on software updates is among the most common IT op-sec mistakes out there.
In Conclusion
In the end, navigating the dark web and making payments without leaving a trace comes down to mastering the tools of the trade—especially Monero. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to keep your head on a swivel on the dark web! Just because you no longer have to wonder how can I pay on the dark web discreetly, doesn’t mean you’re scam-proof. Maintain your op-sec like a garden and you’ll stay a step ahead of the scammers. Neglect it, and it’s only a matter of time until your funds are compromised.
