The global economy is currently at half mast due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, some people are doing well, especially on the dark web. On this clandestine Internet, screening kits are now selling for exorbitant prices.
With the arrival and spread of the coronavirus, it quickly became essential to test the population. While some countries have been slow to take action, sellers are active on the dark web since the very beginning of the epidemic. An article published by Vice News September 16, 2020 recounts the activities of an anonymous American salesman named Jason, who literally "sniffed" the vein.
In the last week of January 2020, Jason starts stocking up on Covid-19 testing kits. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) had not yet declared a global emergency regarding the coronavirus. The person with contacts in China managed to obtain these test kits – IgM/IgG serological tests – directly from factories in Germany and South Korea.
When the epidemic totaled only 8,000 cases in less than twenty countries, Jason had guessed that the test kits would quickly be the subject of 'high demand . In the first few weeks, the man sold thousands of kits to medical centers in the United States and Italy for $180 each. Today, he sells his kits for $11,000 each.
While the number of cases has steadily increased to reach today a total of more than 32 million , the demand for basic necessities has continued to increase. These include masks, hand sanitizers, respirators and of course testing kits. This is mainly due to the slowdown in production capacity and obviously, the paralysis of world trade.
As the pandemic struggles to die down, dark web vendors continue to sell their wares. David Maimon, a professor of criminal justice and criminology, says governments' response to the pandemic has also opened the door to opportunity for these same sellers. The crisis concerning screening kits is not about to fade. Many medical centers have limited capacity and perform drop-testing. Above all, some countries such as Zimbabwe have recently announced that they are in total shortage.
Testing kits are not the only products making the fortune of dozens of dark web sellers. Indeed, "fake" vaccines, hydroxychloroquine plaques or even the blood of cured Covid-19 patients are a hit. David Maimon believes that sellers have adapted very well to the pandemic. They have indeed diversified their offer by adding products that they do not usually sell. Today, testing kits are therefore sold on the same platforms as those selling semi-automatic pistols and drugs such as ecstasy.
