Feds Say They Finally Got the Operator of The Real Deal, One of the Dark Web's Most Notorious Markets
The man behind one of the most well-known and profitable dark web marketplaces has been arraigned on charges related to its operation after years of attempts to prosecute him, according to federal officials. Daniel Kaye, 34, of London, is alleged to be the administrator of The Real Deal, an underworld bazaar that, in its day, offered an assortment of illicit services—including the ability to hack into U.S. federal agencies.
First appearing in 2015, The Real Deal sold weapons, drugs, hacking tools, stolen login credentials, and other illegal stuff to interested Tor users who were willing to shell out bitcoin. Among the shady offerings available on the site were stolen passwords allowing for the infiltration of major social media companies and American government agencies. While the site has been largely defunct since late 2016, prior to its shutdown The Real Deal was linked to numerous large-scale data breaches, including those involving MySpace and LinkedIn.
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Kaye, who was arrested in London in 2019 on charges in a separate hacking case, began his career as a cybersecurity contractor in the law-abiding world but ultimately found himself drawn to illegal exploits. He started taking jobs that involved corporate espionage and cyberattacks, a Bloomberg profile from 2019 notes, which ultimately led to a life of cybercrime.
Kaye is said to have run The Real Deal from 2015 to 2017 under a variety of pseudonyms, including “Spdrman,” “Bestbuy,” “UserL0ser,” “David Cohen,” “Dlinch Kravitz,” and others. Using these digital disguises, he pedaled stolen login credentials for government agencies, including NASA, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Postal Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He is also alleged to have worked together with another criminal—a still unidentified user dubbed “thedarkoverlord”—to sell stolen Social Security numbers.
Kaye was indicted in April of last year for charges of access device fraud and money laundering conspiracy. However, he was overseas at the time of the indictment and had to be extradited to the U.S. for his arraignment Wednesday.
“While living overseas, this defendant allegedly operated an illegal website that made hacking tools and login credentials available for purchase, including those for U.S. government agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, in the wake of Kaye’s arraignment. Buchanan further called the case a “reminder” that “federal law enforcement will make those accused of breaking U.S. laws face their day in court, regardless of where they reside in the world.”
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