RAPID: Underground Markets for Critical Equipment during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Engineering - The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted commercial supply networks and resulted in actual and perceived shortages for critical supplies, including personal protective equipment and medicines. This situation has opened opportunities on underground markets that present dangers to the health and social and financial well-being of citizens. These illicit networks, facilitated by online Tor sites ("dark web"), are notoriously difficult to trace and are a major source of counterfeit products, including counterfeit pharmaceuticals. This Rapid Response Research (RAPID) project will collect, archive and analyze data on underground market traffic for pandemic-specific items. A better understanding of the operations of such networks during the pandemic will help inform an effective mitigation response.

This award will support the collection of longitudinal data from darknet markets, forums, and Telegram channels on a broad range of products specific to the pandemic, including personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer and disinfectants, and medications advertised to the general public as treatments for COVID-19 disease. The PIs will collect and analyze data on market participants (sellers), price, volume, demand for these items. The project will improve our understanding of how illicit markets respond opportunistically to commercial supply shortages.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.