There is a new avenue darknet market (DNM) that customers have discovered that allows them to purchase illegal goods 24 hours a day via a robotic drug dealer hosted on Telegram. The platform called “Televend” is an automated software program that peddles illicit drugs to people who pay with bitcoin and in recent months the complex system has grown enormously.
While many darknet markets have fallen by the wayside, a host of new types of methods have risen when it comes to selling illegal drugs online. For example, the world’s largest DNM in Russia, Hydra, leverages a complicated system of suppliers using drop zones. Furthermore, a large number of DNM customers have used messaging applications such as Facebook Messenger, Signal, Telegram, Whatsapp, and others to procure certain medications.
More recently, DNM users have exploited a new messaging path that uses a Telegram software program or a bot called “Televend” to facilitate drug trafficking.
It is not too difficult to locate relevant Televend links to take a look at this growing black market platform. According to the program’s learning channel, there are a number of obstacles that must be completed before taking advantage of the Televend path. The channel’s blocked message also provides a brief description of what the bot does and how drug sellers can use the app.
“Televend is a network of auto-shop bots for direct resellers, we administer the bots and the suppliers manage them as private shops”, the channel’s message reads. “Customers can visit them and pay with bitcoins, track orders and payments, as well as leave feedback and ratings. Vendors control their bot’s lists and configuration via a Tor .onion-based control panel, so no account is needed. Telegram for sale. In this control panel they can add lists, process orders, reply to messages and other functionalities. “
The creators of Televend claim that the system has around 200,000 users to date, but it is difficult to verify as there are various Televend channels with different numbers of subscribers. The robots notify customers when certain drugs are sold at a discount or if a new cannabis blend arrives.
Users can leave feedback ratings so that other users can have a look at reliable suppliers operating within the Televend network. However, unlike operations like Openbazaar or the myriad of DNMs on the deep web, using the Televend bot is entirely based on trust. There is no escrow system and there is a much greater chance of being ripped off by scammers preying on newcomers.
About a month ago, a Reddit user posted a question about Televend on the r / darknet subreddit to get information about this new platform. One person said a vendor told him he left DNM Icarus to sell his drugs using the Televend system. Another reviewer also noted that “Televend was great”. The creator of the thread described the software program as a “messaging system”, which is “used for drug business”.
“No commitment, so you have to rely on reliable feedback / vendors,” wrote the r / darknet subscriber. “There are a lot of scammers, so you have to be very careful, but I look for suppliers and only use the ones that are verified / trustworthy / good feedback from other sources. There is a group chat so the scammers tend to be identified enough quickly and good suppliers are discovered, “he added.
Televend administrators also describe a series of instructions that people should follow before using the bot’s service. For example, administrators advise people not to sign up with their phone number and sign up for Telegram using a SIM hosting / SMS service such as 5SIM.
When registering with a service like 5SIM, Televend operators say the user should choose an alternative country, but avoid using Russia or ex-Soviet countries, as there are problems for Telegram users. Televend administrators also recommend configuring the Telegram client for proxy via the TOR network.
Televend creators also suggest setting up two-factor authentication with Telegram as well. “This is important because your temporary number will not be available for reuse, but it will be in circulation for others. With 2FA your account cannot be stolen, “says the Televend community learning channel.
Televend has a vibrant community of drug customers and sellers, as the bot removes a number of tedious tasks from the drug dealing process. The Televend bot also charges a commission to the seller for all sales made to use the program. Additionally, Televend’s core team has paid rewards for people who help strengthen the network and for those who write supplier reviews on the DNM Dread forum.
“Televend is paying 100 EUR in BTC for every provider you refer to our network,” explains an administrator nicknamed “@TelevendPR”. “All they have to do is mention your Telegram username and make their minimum initial deposit of 200 EUR”
In another thread, posted on the r / darknet forums, a couple of users claim that Televend has hosted “some of the best providers in the UK”. The biggest warning most Televend users give, however, is for newcomers to research suppliers thoroughly, because the bot system is entirely based on trust.
“I used it,” explained another Reddit user on r / darknet. “I love it. Just look for your suppliers very well because there is no commitment. Some of the best and most reliable suppliers are there if you know how to find them.”
What do you think of the new Televend robotic service that sells drugs for bitcoins via Telegram? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Image credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons
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