From drug dealers to human trafficking to ecommerce, the dark web has it all. However, the dark web was not always known for its nefarious and illegal activities. The dark web’s initial purpose was to establish an anonymous communication network, ‘A lot of people use it in countries where there’s eavesdropping or where internet access is criminalized.’ Now, with the dark web tailored to mostly criminals, countless illegal activities go unnoticed by law enforcement. Some examples include purchasing the login credentials for a $50,000 bank account for just $500, obtaining $3,000 worth of counterfeit bills for only $600, or purchasing the services of a hitman. With such a dangerous influence on today’s society, the dark web is definitely a topic worth discussing. This research paper will mainly discuss the depths of the dark web and its impact on businesses. Firstly, I will provide background information on the dark web, including the definition, the history, and way of access. Then, I will narrow down my research and focus on the dark web’s influences on the economy. This includes credit card scams and its effects on banks and businesses. Finally, I will explain how the dark web affects society and suggest solutions for people to defend themselves against scammers. Throughout the paper, I will provide real life experiences from people who have explored the dark web or were a victim.
While conducting my research, I will use videos that explain people’s interactions when exploring the dark web, and articles from numerous outlets ranging from American Express to tech websites to the Federal Trade Commission website. While the videos provide stories from victims, the articles will prove their validity.
The goal of this paper is to inform people about the dark web, its impacts on the economy and society, and possible preventative actions.
This is an interesting topic and you can probably find a lot of information about how the dark web has had its influence on the outside world despite it being relatively unknown to most people.