Defcon 32 : $10k Giveaway by Darknet Market Archetyp was a SCAM - Here's Why...

[@jacobroddy7939]

Yay!

[@joaquimjocfla]

If I understand this correctly the stickers were put up in person? What if they pull cctv footage and arrest the guy putting up stickers in service of a DNM? Is he gonna say “it was just a prank”?

[@Sam_Bent]

Must have been, and I know that was my same thought. Hopefully, they only say one thing: "Lawyer".

[@koba2160]

@@Sam_Bent yeah, they could have hired someone randomly aswell. However, putting stickers down does not implicate you in any of archtyp's crimes

[@w花b]

​@@koba2160That's how North Korea killed Kim's brother. They paid some stranger and made them believe it was a prank. I don't know how realistic that is in general and the chances of success, people aren't stupid (I hope). They're not stupid but they do need the money I guess.

[@yunggoosbumps215]

@@koba2160Conspiracy to give away drug laundered money is probably a crime. 😂

[@Akillian1]

probably paid some hobos 20 bucks to put them up

[@davel202]

The only thing I can think of is that the admins don’t get that the culture of the con. Yes it has feds and is run by people with connections. 90% of the fun is getting to be with your friends and other people. It feels like dumping on the con in a way that isn’t clever.

[@Sam_Bent]

I love defcon. I wouldn't have giving a talk there if I didn't. For more than two decades I've watched virtually every video that gets released from them. Overall I think that they do a ton of good, when I was there I love speaking with the other speakers as well as just the random people in the hallway. There's a massive sense of camaraderie and almost familial support when you're there. Those feelings don't come from the fbi or the department of homeland security though. They come from the love will have for security and technology. This by far overshadows the fact that jeff moss is literally a dhs agent. My point wasn't to talk badly about defcon but rather to point out the fact that a darknet market admin setting up an operation, had a conference that has such a heavy federal law enforcement presence is less than the most intelligent move one could make.

[@kitsune7919]

This is so bizzare to me how can the owner of the biggest dnm not just come up with a fun challenge and cough up 10k its literally pennies for them.

[@devilgryphon6914]

@@kitsune7919 exactly i cant figure it out,it is a too much dumb move

[@jsadecki1]

Because what's really going on is: The person in this video is bitter that their ventures didn't work out, and they went on to be so bitter, that they're making up that the owner of a Darknet market that makes upwards of $10 million per month minimum would go through the hassle of scamming people out of $10K. Something's fatty here and it's not to do with the market is to do with this guy Who brags at DEFCON the worst operational security possible He says in his DEFCON took that he would put the return address assex offenders. Can you imagine the opsec risk that would be on his own customers. Not to mention children can you imagine if those offenders used the drugs they received for free on more victims?! This guy is a self-proclaimed Darknet and opsec expert on his own about description on KZbin... You can really see why he got caught and went to prison...

[@hypnos4754]

Reading the terminology “encryption hashes” is quite frustrating because a hash is a one-way function. It does not encrypt, which is the exact reason why the term “decrypt” does not apply to hashes. It’s just disappointing overall to see people set up “contests” like this in bad faith in order to garner more popularity. Great video!

[@Synflood-dot-txt]

ya jesus christ, decrypting hashes is a regarded thing to write on material that people there will see -____-

[@Alex-ee5pl]

get hashed kid ha ha ha

[@Sam_Bent]

Agreed, the misuse of terminology like “encryption hashes” shows a lack of understanding-or worse, an attempt to deliberately mislead. The admin tried calling his employee out for this very thing, and then did the same thing himself. Hashes are indeed one-way functions, and the idea of “decrypting” them is fundamentally flawed. It’s frustrating to see contests like this set up with bad intentions, preying on participants’ lack of technical knowledge to boost popularity. Thanks for pointing that out, and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!

[@andyturbo]

So happy to see another upload! What a great day. I have just landed a new job so will be donating again as of next week. Thanks Sam, brother.

[@Sam_Bent]

1st off congrats on the new job. I'm glad that I was able to make your day better! It's also good to see you in the comments!

[@andyturbo]

@@Sam_Bent thanks man

[@Baby_T0M]

Great video Sam….The DNM help a lot but other people chose to use it the negative way

[@naesone2653]

Today is a good day my favourite creator uploads. Thanks man you really make my day with each upload, also the blog is nice.

[@Sam_Bent]

Thanks so much, Naesone! I’m really glad to hear that you’re enjoying both the videos and the blog. Your support means a lot, and it’s great to know that what I make actually effects people! More to come, so stay tuned!

[@kobab4270]

Makes Archetyp as a whole seem much less trustworthy than before. I wouldn’t be surprised if they pulled an exit scam one day too. If you have accounts with wallets on there I’d suggest to retrieve all funds after whatever transaction you did finished

[@Tony-mn6bx]

Loved this video. I may be in the minority, but I really enjoyed the no frills commentary without the harsh "hacker, static"-style cuts. There were instances in the past where the cuts themselves would be louder your voice and would throw off the pacing. Glad to see it has been improving!

[@Sam_Bent]

Appreciate the feedback, Tony! I’ve been working on refining the style to keep the focus on the content rather than the distractions. It’s great to hear that the changes are resonating with you. I’ll definitely keep this approach in mind for future videos-thanks for sticking with the channel! I will continue to try and grow as a content creator and specifrically a video editior. Comment's like this help me do just that.

[@drbeavis4211]

Oh wow, I remember you from the Defcon speech a few years ago or so. Glad to find your YT channel, cheers from Alabama!

[@Sam_Bent]

Hi and welcome! Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[@denissorn]

was't there a guy who died, allegedly ODd, in his hotel room like few days before he was supposed to reveal something. This is edited reply. So, I did some search (Google turned out to be useless again.) and the guy's name was Barnaby Jack. He was known for hacking of ATMs. In Vegas he was supposed to demonstrate apparently a very nasty vulnerability of pacemaker devices.

[@yunggoosbumps215]

There's absolutely nothing on google or reddit about it so it sounds like a rumor

[@denissorn]

@@yunggoosbumps215 it's not. It was all over the news. They scrap shit from the internet and adjust the search accordingly. Try finding for example that news when Tor developers cooperated with the FBI withholding the info (about vuln) from the public. You'll probably find just a bunch of articles explaining you how good the feds and military are and how they help the project. However the site with all relevant info is still online, just not easy to find. Just search for Tor vulnerablities or issues and you should be able to find it.

[@DarkestTikTok]

@yunggoosbumps215 actually increases its legitimacy if the person questioning is certain they remember the information

[@yunggoosbumps215]

@@DarkestTikTok No, the human memory is not very accurate. Eye witness testimony has been studied a lot and it does not prove to be an accurate representation of events.

[@denissorn]

@@yunggoosbumps215 thays true. You shouldn't accept the info unless you can verify it. However, places you mentioned as a reference are beyond silly. Anyhow, the guy's name is Barnaby Jack, and he was famous for discovering weaknesses in ATM machines. This time he picked the wrong, maybe worst opponent (medical cartel) and was about to demonstrate hacking of pacemakers and/or similar devices. If you're a badge, fed, 8022, or equivalent, grow a conscience, maybe even consciousness (not sure they're equipped with it) and stop being a cancer. If you're just young, apologize please ignore my previous sentence b/c it's not meant for you.

[@LumocolorARTnr1319]

Security experts is not the best crowd to get attention from when running an illegal business on the internet.

[@dieselbaby]

Separate from the events discussed in this video/the whole 'giveaway contest' thing, do you have some kind of beef with Archetyp/the admins there? I'm asking because I get the vibe that you do, from some of your replies to comments here and more so from some of the posts you made on the Dread thread you made that I found this video from in the first place. If memory serves correctly, didn't you make a pretty glowing review video (one which more or less felt like an advertisement for their market, to me anyway) on Archetyp not that long ago on this channel?

[@Sam_Bent]

I dislike people who set people up for failure. I made a review of the market that was overwhelmingly positive absolutely. I still like the market. I didn't say that the actual darknet market was trash or not good in any way. I said that the way that this giveaway was ran, what is atrocious. It was a setup to fail from the get go. And it was set up at probably one of the worst places that you could ever set something like a darknet market scavenger hunt up in, a place that's literally crawling with feds and is actually run by a federal agent. In other words this video has nothing to do with the market itself but rather the dark net market admin. The two are different, same as bill gates is different from microsoft and elon musk is different from tesla or spacex.

[@jsadecki1]

Can we get an update on this?

[@Sam_Bent]

For sure, the admin's a whackjob but the market is good (for now). See: Defcon 32 : $10k Giveaway by Darknet Market Archetyp was a SCAM - Here's Why... kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5jTZKGNYs-smMk Crushing the Self Delusions of a Narcissistic Darknet Admin BigBossChefOfArchetyp Archetyp Darknet kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZfGd4aPpNOUgtU

[@jsadecki1]

@Sam_Bent so the person who probably has maybe 100 million is going to scam people out of 10k? Na bro Nobody with that much money is going to go through that amount of hassle just for 10k 😆😆😆😆 Sounds more like your just washed up because you got caught and you, a grown man, is just trying tarnish their name, because your butthurt you got caught Grow up mate 😆😆😆😆😆 What 'darkness & open expert' like it says on your about on KZbin, brags about it On DEFCON 😆😆😆😆😆 Real opsec 'expert' there 😆😆😆😊😊

[@33Thrty]

they should ping specific coordinates. then make a app and do something with that. no doubt feds will be all over this and search the cctv if its stickers, in a city like vegas.

[@denissorn]

too much buzz about the fact that a market came up with a smart way to advertise themselves. It could have been a smart (or maybe not) probe to lure one of juniors employed by some state or through nepotism who might have hurried to use resources (eg a backdoor) at their disposal to 'hack' the solution and find the codes.

[@Sam_Bent]

You bring up an interesting point, Denissorn. It’s possible that this whole setup was a bait to see who might try to flex their resources-whether state-sponsored or through connections-to crack the challenge. If that was the case, it’s a pretty cynical move, using the lure of a darknet market’s contest to probe for weaknesses or track who might step out of line. Whether intentional or not, it’s a reminder to stay cautious when these kinds of events pop up.

[@boines]

In the past i have created few ctf etc challenges with the mindset of it being not for starters. I do this because i do not want 10k ppl trying to win. More stress on my end to say the least. Also i am trying to find good people at this stuff to maybe one day teach others etc. at the end buzz and advertising is good for marketing and getting people involved who might want to so in future.

[@Sam_Bent]

Respect for engineering CTF's to begin with. I get where you’re coming from. Creating challenges that filter out the noise can definitely help in identifying the truly skilled individuals. However, the issue with Archetyp’s challenge wasn’t just its difficulty; it was the deceptive nature behind it. There’s a difference between setting a high bar and rigging the game so no one can win. The latter isn’t about finding talent; it’s about exploiting the community for gain without giving anything back.

[@negrastormentas2865]

Important observations about the fed infiltration at Defcon. Its bizzare, and growing. This is also the case with "hacker culture" on KZbin. These people all seem to be in love with the CIA and FBI. And considering the problem with the US government being the major funder of the Tor Project, we've got a huge problem. Defcon seems to be a way to control the hacker ecosystem towards the government's objectives. Great video.

[@user-el4su7tl6f]

I see it as the "normie-fication" of computer science and cybersecurity + people wanting to go legit

[@negrastormentas2865]

@@user-el4su7tl6f I think its just about the feds controlling things. Staying close and directing things. The normiefication is a consequence, creating a cybersecurity market. With a market you can be a "legit hacker"; or, actually, a cybersecurity expert.

[@rusi6219]

​@@user-el4su7tl6fOP is correct. Look at the people running cybersecurity startups. Most of them are either ex-fed or exmilitary.

[@Sam_Bent]

You’ve hit on a critical point that a lot of people overlook. The infiltration of hacker culture by federal agencies, both at Defcon and on platforms like KZbin, is indeed concerning. Seeing the CONSTANT boot licking of hackers and content creators is also annoying. It’s not just about monitoring in many of these cases; it’s about steering the narrative and controlling the direction of the hacker community, which is kind of unnerving considering the foundations. Obviously, there are more than a few communities less mainstream that are outright resistant to this and not bootlickers (breachforums comes to mind). When you add that the Tor Project is heavily funded by the US government, it raises serious questions about who’s really in control. Defcon, once a bastion of hacker independence, is increasingly becoming a tool for government objectives. Thanks for recognizing the importance of these observations. I always like to hear that I'm not insane for having the views I have.

[@TheApatheticGuy]

Back when Mudge and the L0pht testifying to congress were the only bridge between the government and hackers, the odds were against hackers. Now that the largest space has been gentrified by institutionalized feds, the odds are still against hackers. The game has always been the same. It's always a threat to the male ego trip of government to extend your personal agency with technology when you're creatively-minded. Allowing a big group of those kinds of people to convene without interference just can't happen for them. If they can't weaponize the autism themselves it's simply a threat to be monitored and/or removed.

[@TheGhostInTheWires]

If you can crack password hashes in less than 24 hours while at a hacking conference, I can think of some people who will pay you much more than $10,000 for that skill.

[@DUDETHISCOMMENTISSOGODDAMNLONG]

some governments might just hunt you down for that

[@yunggoosbumps215]

Yup but at the end of the day it's a computer computation, people can't crack hashes with their fingers and brains like in the movies 😂

[@Aaron-zu3xn]

they prob had a crypto-scammer submit a talk and thought they could work with them and everyone would be happy. unfortunately that's not how a pump & dump works you get the to built up reputation then takes advantage of that they'll literally say "we have your info cus you're a vendor here pay us or we'll turn you in"

[@TheGhostInTheWires]

@@yunggoosbumps215 There can be some skill involved with it as far as finding vulnerabilities in the algorithm itself through cryptoananalysis. But yeah, generally, when most people talk about cracking hashes they're talking about bruteforcing it or dictionary attacks, which is going to come down to how much computational power you have available.

[@Sam_Bent]

Absolutely, Ghost. (also your username is badass, great book but I like the art of deception better) Anyone with the capability to crack hashes that quickly, especially in the limited environment of a hacking conference, would definitely have high-paying opportunities. The fact that this challenge even suggested such a feat just highlights how out of touch it was with reality-or how deliberately misleading it was to those who didn’t know better.

[@davel202]

This is a bad look. It’s a different kind of bullying, if you can call it that. Probably exposes something about the admins, too, that they would roll with it “ allegedly .”

[@lucidmiller]

One question, well actually I have many questions but for right now I'll just ask one. Is that a Moonshine Stil in the background?

[@Sam_Bent]

It is! I explain why it's there in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWa1iJKebdGng7M

[@rrosie1966]

Great information, thank you!

[@davegebbings7632]

Another great video. Thanks Sam.

[@Sam_Bent]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ErickMirandadotcom]

Feels like Defcon is a massive honeypot

[@Sam_Bent]

I love the people, the speakers and the people you run into the halls. I dislike the federalization of the con though. It's basically the antithisis of the origianal hacker community and spirit.

[@iTzSe7eN]

Honestly felt the same when I went last year. Was in line talking to a dude from JPL and someone else who worked for a Federal Agency, they asked what I did and when it wasn't government they shut me out of the convo and talked amongst themselves quietly. On my way over there too, I was going through security at the airport and saw the director of the TSA on the monitors making some pre-recorded speech about how they're keeping us safe. Then at the opening ceremony I see the dark tangent and the director on stage together! It was my first defcon and just shattered my expectations about it being some super hardcore hacker space that was about privacy, rights, freedom, etc. Maybe at one point but just too many suits for my liking.

[@incryptiddotcom]

@@iTzSe7eN cDc is whack asf now

[@QuantumlyImmortal]

Sucks to see this type of behavior from an otherwise great market place. Watching your review about it is what led me there in the first place. At least these shenanigans were not really a part of the actual site operations. My experience has been all positive whenever I have used their site. Hopefully there is more than just this one dickhead running the whole show over there. Im hoping they will realize they've made a mistake and try to at least do something to make up for it.

[@denissorn]

@DoingFedTime bud, are you deleting my comments and if yes why, or is it YT, or are there here (YT) some rules of engagement or smth I am not aware off?

[@andyturbo]

Its YT man, real hectic lately .

[@Sam_Bent]

As far as I'm concerned, there are no ROE. The ONLY comment's that I delete are the 'sign up for crypto here' scams that flood every video. I'm very much for free speech, even if it's critical or disagree's with my own point of view, as result I have it as a general rule that I never delete any comments unless they are trying to phish or scam my subscribers.

[@denissorn]

@@Sam_Bent thanks. Maybe it was random. in that comment I kidna discouraged 'agents' and 'servants' from doing their jobs, so maybe that triggered something.

[@mercedesc350e5]

Thanks for the chapters, looking forward to this

[@adambamf9365]

did anyone leave a rick roll sd card?

[@yunggoosbumps215]

It's a clear scam. Poorly thought out as well. If I were to run a legit scam I'd have made the first parts of the game possible to actually do to convince people that there is a game and then made the rest of it not possible. And then look to the defcon attendees and shame then for not being able to pass simple tests. 😂 Otherwise this is just a clear scam and anybody who actually made the QR codes a real thing would be immediately put into a white fed van for questioning.

[@Sam_Bent]

You nailed it-this was a poorly executed scam that could have been much more deceptive if they’d put a little more thought into it. Making the first part achievable would have lured people in deeper and added credibility to the whole charade. But instead, they went for the low-effort route, making it obvious to anyone paying attention that the whole thing was rigged from the start. And yeah, placing those QR codes would have likely drawn way more attention from the feds than they bargained for. The fact that a market would put anyone in a position to actually face that is an issue to begin with.

[@andyturbo]

OMG BRING ON 20K!

[@Sam_Bent]

Hi Andy! Good to see you again! Thank you for the super thanks (again)!

[@kurtisjackson5759]

Archetyp is getting ready to exit scam imo.

[@Sam_Bent]

It's certainly possible, Kurtis. The signs are there-creating buzz with impossible challenges and avoiding payouts can be indicative of a market trying to squeeze the last bit of value before disappearing. If Archetyp is setting up an exit scam, this won’t be the last shady move we see from them. Keep your eyes open and always stay cautious.

[@GREENLEAFDE]

@@Sam_Bent lol u are 50plus still no brain and after 60 u will have stool instead brain hahah useless old person, its a jealousy of this sam bent , he was unable to steal their funds so he was crushed inside of his failure

[@Usmc913]

I bet people call him out after this video.

[@Sam_Bent]

That’s the hope, Usmc913. The more people are aware of the reality behind these kinds of scams, the less power these bad actors have. If this video gets people talking and calling out the deception, it’s a step in the right direction. I'm not a fan of anyone who set's people up to fail from the rip.

[@Usmc913]

@@Sam_Bent that's what I love about your channel. Zero ties to anyone on these DNM so you can give a legit and objective opinion. You're not being paid by these admins to stamp out fires and make them look better. If they lied about this or were deceptive I wonder if that lottery on Arch is real either.

[@dunar1005]

He needs like 20 min and lots of repeats to get to the point -.-

[@Sam_Bent]

For sure, I definitely repeat myself, thank you for this insight, I'll try to do better next time.

[@EarthWalkerOne]

lol, you don't say.

[@Aaron-zu3xn]

takes advantage of that they'll literally say "we have your info cus you're a vendor here pay us or we'll turn you in" getting your name in front of all these "tor users" would bring you plenty of people you could scam

[@Sam_Bent]

Exactly, Aaron. The power dynamics on these platforms can be dangerous, especially when operators use that leverage to exploit vendors or users. The threat of turning someone in is a powerful tool for coercion, and it’s a stark reminder of how important OpSec is for anyone involved in these markets. Getting exposure on Tor can be a double-edged sword-while it brings visibility, it also attracts those looking to exploit that exposure for their gain.

[@kurtisjackson5759]

Definitely disappointing.

[@Sam_Bent]

Agreed.

[@ChrisHaefner]

Sounds like a publicity stunt

[@Sam_Bent]

Agreed. (good to see you again).

[@kuukeli]

great video

[@Sam_Bent]

Thank you Kuukeli and thank's for takign the time to comment.

[@pvtglarson1]

i normally get super irritated when people pause when they speak because it means they are making shit up... but your pauses are obviously when you are searching your brain... also plz for the love of money charge for some of this info somehow... unless this is all monetized

[@rusi6219]

It's also speech impediment issue due to less than normal socialization I sometimes have to stop myself to "untangle" my tongue and sound exactly like him

[@Sam_Bent]

I appreciate you noticing the difference, Larson. I’m all about being thorough and making sure I get the facts straight, so sometimes that means taking a moment to get it right. Othertimes, I have to slow down my own thought patterns, so that I don't go from talking about item A to talking about item B,C,D with out finishing the first thing. As for monetization, when I hit 20,000 members I will make memberships. It'll be the first step to me trying to do this 24/7. Stay tuned-there might be some exclusive content or ways to support the channel coming soon.

[@Sam_Bent]

This actually taught me something about myself. I had no clue that this was even a thing! I agree though and would add it’s not about how fast you talk, but about the substance of what you’re saying. Glad you can relate! It's good to know I'm not some weirdo alone with this issue :)

[@monkstandinglast]

@@Sam_Bent Just wait till spreads to your typing like me 🤣🤣🤣I sometimes type and end up having repeated words because I had to pause my brain and let it catch up leading to multiple double words and complete 180s on sentences without real8sing it then end up having multiple edits to fix🤣🤣🤣🤣 otherwise you're cool with some great topics covered😁😀😀

[@Pratttty]

Meow

[@arrayffs]

meow

[@incryptiddotcom]

Would not be surprised if this was the reason people started getting their rooms tossed under the threat of physical intimidation etc. i think i read it was the hyatt or marriott. would be a trip if the person who was responsible for the 2d sticker codes placement came from, or back there

[@Sam_Bent]

I think that's just a 'defcon is becoming fed-con' thing.

[@incryptiddotcom]

@@Sam_Bent Okay so I'm not the only one realizing that... good to know