DARKMARK

to install a better system, which JiLsi welcomed, and Matrix began his
ascent up the hierarchy.

More help was on the way. JiLsi was quick to promote
a certain Master Splyntr to accept the post of moderator
on the forum. Master Splyntr was the nickname of a notorious
Polish spammer called Pavel Kaminski. In a typically adolescent reference,
his nickname referred to the rat who trained the Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles in the art of martial combat in the popular children's
cartoon. In deference to his hero and his skills, Master Splyntr was also
known among the spam- ming and hacking community as 'sensei'.

Master Splyntr's true identity had been revealed
by the secretive British anti-spam organisation, spamhaus.org.
The businessmen, techies, former spooks and God-knows-who-else
comprising this team run an effective crusade to blacklist high-rollers
of the spam, carding and child-pornography worlds. It scours the digital
world for 'rogue' ISPs, those Internet Service Providers that
turn a blind eye to the criminal activities of their customers. Kaminski,
Spamhaus reported on its website, was one of the world's top
five spammers, responsible for vast amounts of unwanted ads for penis
enlargements, Vicodin and the rest.

Spamhaus's interest in Master Splyntr meant that
he was a marked man, and five police forces from around the world
launched investiga- tions into his activities when he moved from spamming
into the realm of carders. Kaminski was also linked to the wholesale
distribution of malware, viruses and trojans. He was an established
bad dude, and JiLsi was quietly thrilled at having enticed
such a big fish into the waters of DarkMarket. He cultivated both Splyntr
and Matrix001 assidu- ously. This was developing into quite a team
and when Cha0, the Turkish criminal mastermind, joined the party,
DarkMarket developed an undoubted aura of success.

To look at, there was nothing remarkable
about DarkMarket. It functioned just like message boards that discuss
the perils of parenting or the thrills of bee-keeping. It was harder to access
because members had to be nominated and vetted, but this rarely
proved a problem for those acquainted with the carding scene and
with a determination to join. Actual business - buying and selling - was
hardly ever conducted over the forum, for security reasons. Rather it was
a place for vendors and buyers to meet; it was where manufacturers
of skimming machines