Illicit Commodities Trading Trends Over Online Underground Markets of Fraud

• In Event: Trends in Online Fraud: An Analysis of Illicit Commodities over Digital Platforms

Abstract

Objective: This joint project between the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Georgia State University’s Evidence Based Cybersecurity (EBCS) research group seeks to document the volume and trends of key illicit commodities which serve as drivers of online fraud in the USA and are offered for sale on online underground markets.
Data/Methods: To accomplish this goal, EBCS threat intelligence team monitored 60 telegram channels which are used to facilitate illicit trade of illicit digital commodities in the USA during the month of January 2022.
Results: Results will cover the tools used, the methodologies applied, and the illicit commodities trading trends observed in these markets over a year-long period of data collection.
Conclusion/Implications: These findings highlight the importance of maintaining an online presence to monitor the illicit exchange of varying goods over cyberspace and other digital platforms. Moreover, the findings also exemplify the necessity of collaborative and interdisciplinary efforts when navigating such ecosystems.

Authors

• Manik Kaur, Georgia State University

• David Maimon, Georgia State University