Dark Web Emerges as 'Fraud Superstore' Lowering Barriers for Criminal Enterprise

Criminal enterprises have transformed the dark web into a sophisticated marketplace for fraud tools and services, operating around the clock like legitimate businesses to help scammers target consumers and financial institutions globally. According to a new investigation, these digital underworld venues function as de facto "fraud superstores," where even amateur criminals can purchase everything needed to conduct complex scams with minimal technical expertise.

Background and Context

The commercialization of fraud through the dark web represents a significant evolution in cybercrime, effectively democratizing access to tools once reserved for sophisticated hacking groups. Research commissioned as part of the Global State of Fraud and Identity Report 2026 reveals how criminal syndicates now operate as multi-layered enterprises, with distinct teams handling different aspects of fraudulent operations from initial contact to financial extraction.

This industrialization of fraud has lowered entry barriers dramatically. Where once scams required technical expertise, today's dark web marketplaces offer plug-and-play solutions complete with tutorial videos for novice fraudsters. This has created what experts describe as a "cottage industry" of amateur scammers operating globally.

Key Figures and Entities

According to Jason Lane-Sellers, director of fraud and identity for EMEA at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, criminal organizations have adopted business-like operational models. "In South Africa, a police raid uncovered thousands of SIM cards used to set up WhatsApp accounts," Lane-Sellers noted. "These accounts are then sold to another group to converse with their victims."

Kimberly Sutherland, global head of fraud and identity at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, emphasized the comprehensive nature of these marketplaces: "Our research reveals the dark web to be a de-facto fraud superstore, giving bad actors easy access to the knowledge and tools to conduct all manner of criminal acts."

The investigation identified scripted scam operations emerging in countries including Myanmar and the Philippines, with similar activity now being detected in parts of Africa. These operations rarely involve single individuals executing all stages of an attack, instead relying on specialized service providers for each component of the fraud chain.

Legal and Financial Mechanisms

Dark web marketplaces offer a comprehensive suite of fraud-related services. Investigators found established email accounts, devices designed to pass basic fraud checks, and "fraud-ready" bank accounts complete with login credentials and pre-completed identity verification. These services are complemented by tools to create fake web pages, advertisements, conversations, and deepfake video overlays.

The commercial structure of these operations follows clear business practices. According to researchers, these superstores operate around the clock, use scripts and structured workflows, and allocate resources to specific tasks. Lane-Sellers explained: "They'll buy the data, they'll buy the access, they'll buy the phone numbers, they'll buy the web page interactions, etc."

However, the dark web offers limited protection for criminals themselves. Exit scams—where marketplace administrators shut down operations and abscond with customer funds—remain common. Some marketplaces attempt to signal legitimacy by policing users and banning worthless items, though this provides only partial security for participants.

International Implications and Policy Response

The evolution of fraud tactics poses significant challenges for global law enforcement and regulatory bodies. While AI and deepfake technology have enhanced fraud capabilities, criminals are simultaneously frustrated by AI-driven detection systems deployed by financial institutions. Dark web forums contain complaints about technologies capable of detecting blood flow and micro muscle movements during identity verification, with one user admitting: "There is no bypass."

Perhaps most concerning is the migration of simplified dark web marketplaces to mainstream social platforms, offering similar illicit products with easier access. This blurs the line between underground and conventional digital spaces, complicating enforcement efforts.

The shift in targeting strategy from organizations to individuals represents another concerning trend. "They've worked out that the weakest link in the cyber security chain is you and I," Lane-Sellers observed. "Companies have organised their network infrastructure and are implementing defences... But it's easier for me to get the data from a person, especially using AI; can that individual really figure out what is real and what is not?"

Despite technological advances, experts note that underlying fraud tactics have not fundamentally changed. "I haven't seen any new fraud in 20 years," Lane-Sellers stated. "What I do see is the same fraud but utilising new technology, making it more efficient and more effective."

Sources

This report draws on findings from "Fraud for sale: Untangling the dark web," part of the Global State of Fraud and Identity Report 2026 commissioned by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, including a proprietary dark web study conducted in 2025. Additional information comes from interviews with Jason Lane-Sellers, director of fraud and identity (EMEA) at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and Kimberly Sutherland, global head of fraud and identity at the same organization.