US Targets Crypto Accounts Linked to Nemesis Darknet Market
The US government has taken a strong step to stop illegal activities on the dark web. It has put sanctions on some crypto accounts that are connected to the Nemesis darknet marketplace. Let’s find out more about this.
What is Nemesis?
Nemesis was a website that started in 2021. It was run by a man named Behrouz Parsarad from Iran. This website was a place where people could buy and sell illegal things like drugs and fake IDs. It also had services like hacking. Before it was closed down, Nemesis had over 30,000 users and 1,000 sellers. It also had ways to hide money.
What are the sanctions?
The US Treasury Department has put sanctions on Behrouz Parsarad and 49 of his crypto accounts. These accounts have 44 Bitcoin and 5 Monero addresses. These sanctions mean that US citizens cannot do business with Parsarad or his companies. This is part of a bigger effort to stop illegal online marketplaces.
How did Parsarad use crypto?
Parsarad received over $850,000 from illegal activities through his crypto wallets. He also sent over $12,000 to other darknet marketplaces. He used the changes in Bitcoin prices to make his money grow. He did this to hide his activities because Iran has strict rules about drugs.
What’s next?
Even though Nemesis is closed, Parsarad is planning to start a new darknet marketplace. This shows that these illegal websites are still a problem. The US and other countries are working together to stop them.
Why are darknet marketplaces still a problem?
Even when the police shut down one darknet marketplace, others pop up. These websites keep changing and are hard to stop. We need more help from different countries to stop these illegal activities.
Sources: cointelegraph.com, securityweek.com, cryptoslate.com