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Comment by joan_kode | Hacker News Reader

Dark web marketplaces are not exactly "a system where nobody trusts anyone". They are pseudonymous, as opposed to completely anonymous, and sellers absolutely build reputation and some degree of trust. Otherwise nothing would work - the problems you point out would prevent any business at all. It's theoretically possible for a hitman to build reputation in such an environment. However, it would have to be comparatively slow and high-stakes, which I suspect is the main problem and tips the scale towards scamming.

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Except the dark net reputation system is completely broken.

It's trivially easy to create new accounts and maintain parallel alternate accounts on dark net marketplaces, even going so far as giving yourself fake reviews to pump up reputations.

This is such a common scam on dark net markets that it has a name, known as exit scamming. A vendor will build themselves up a good reputation (usually fake) and then scam everyone who transacts with them, cashing out on the reputation. Wash, rinse, repeat with new accounts.

You also run a risk when leaving a bad review. Even if you never buy from that vendor again, you could buy from one of their alternate accounts, and they'll send you fentanyl in your product as retaliation.

I think the flip side to the nobody trusts anyone is once you out yourself as a hitman with a good reputation ... I think you can assume any customers will be cops pretty dang fast.

That doesn't seem to happen for drug markets.

Seems to happen to the operators of dark web services... and then their users.

Beyond that though a hitman seems to assume some level of proximity to the target that authorities could use. Mailing drugs much less so.

NOT true watch or read 'the jackal' (the book is a bit different because it's against the french president not the US)

And its partially a true story:

https://www.insidehook.com/article/military/real-life-jackal...

Aye. With hitmen there are bodies, a capital crime, and no statute of limitations. Drug laws are often much more lenient, not as far reaching, and some random guys Silk Road order is a drop in the bucket compared to the serious importing and production of said drugs.

Plus you order your goods to the wrong address or use a fake name, and when the heat comes around you say "it wasn't me" and flush your drugs -- they're not going to chase you for months the way they might a murder case.

Obviously exceptions for the guys ordering kilos of coke every quarter, but as long as you put a little bit of effort into CYA no one is going to kick down your door for $80 worth of Molly.

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