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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 spamming 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 investigations 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 assiduously. 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

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