Guides
Every section we cover, with the explainers that go with it.
After exposure
Model
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What if a scammer threatens to expose me?
Do not pay an extortion demand from a darknet impersonator; preserve all messages and account details, then report to IC3 or Action Fraud for pattern analysis.
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What if I downloaded a suspicious file?
Disconnect your device from networks immediately after downloading a suspicious file to stop info-stealers from exfiltrating session tokens and credentials.
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What if I entered a password on a fake site?
Change your email password first after entering credentials on a phishing mirror, then revoke active session tokens to block credential stuffing and token theft.
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What if I sent cryptocurrency to a scammer?
Preserve the transaction hash, scam wallet address, and all communication logs immediately after sending cryptocurrency to a fraud address before evidence decays.
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What should I do after clicking a suspicious link?
Disconnect your device from networks immediately after clicking a suspicious link to interrupt potential malware loader execution and info-stealer data exfiltration.
Payments and evidence
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Can cryptocurrency transactions be reversed?
Why cryptocurrency transactions are usually final after a darknet scam and how to spot recovery scams.
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How should an incident timeline be written?
Structure a dated, evidence-linked incident timeline for darknet fraud reports to banks, exchanges, and official agencies like IC3 or Action Fraud.
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How should suspicious messages be preserved?
How to preserve suspicious phishing messages after a darknet scam without forwarding active links or losing metadata.
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Should I contact the scammer again?
Why you should not contact a darknet scammer again, including escalation and evidence risks.
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What evidence should a cybercrime victim save?
What evidence to save after a darknet scam, including messages, headers, transaction IDs, and a timeline.
Recognise the scam
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How can I recognise a phishing mirror?
Learn to recognise darknet phishing mirrors through domain mismatch and urgency lures, using safe verification methods that never require visiting real market addresses.
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How do fake escrow scams work?
Learn how fake escrow scams manipulate the trust mechanism meant to protect darknet transactions by controlling fund release through collusive third parties.
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What is a cryptocurrency recovery scam?
Understand how cryptocurrency recovery scams target previous fraud victims with upfront-fee demands and false promises of blockchain fund recovery.
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What is a darknet-market impersonation scam?
Understand how darknet-market impersonation scams use cloned vendor or admin identities to divert payments, and learn the off-platform contact warning sign.
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Why are darknet reviews easy to fake?
Understand why darknet market reviews are structurally easy to fake through sockpuppets and controlled platforms, and why they cannot be trusted as verification.
Report and recover
Model
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How can I avoid recovery impostors?
Recognize recovery impostors after a darknet scam by their upfront fee demands, false official identities, and guaranteed recovery promises.
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How do I recover emotionally after online fraud?
Normalize emotional recovery after darknet fraud by addressing shame, preserving evidence, and filing official reports without self-blame.
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How do I verify a cybercrime reporting site?
Confirm a cybercrime reporting site is real by checking the government domain and navigating independently, avoiding phishing mirrors of IC3 or Action Fraud.
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What should I tell my bank or exchange?
Give your bank or exchange a concise evidence checklist after a darknet scam: transaction hash, wallet address, time, amount, and fraud type.
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Where should online fraud be reported?
Route darknet fraud reports to the correct official agency by victim country, payment service, and platform, using IC3, Action Fraud, and others.
Secure accounts and devices
Model
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How do I check for unknown account sessions?
How to find and revoke unknown active sessions on your accounts after a darknet scam, using official security controls.
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How do I protect identity documents after theft?
How to protect identity documents stolen in a darknet scam, including authority contacts and credit monitoring steps.
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How does multifactor authentication help?
Multifactor authentication helps but SIM swap and session token theft can bypass it; hardware security keys offer the strongest phishing resistance.
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How should a compromised device be handled?
How to isolate and clean a device compromised by darknet scam malware, including info-stealers and remote access trojans.
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Which password should I change first?
Reset your email password first after a phishing attack because it controls recovery for all other accounts and is the primary target in credential stuffing.