21

THE DRON LEGACY

Calgary, Alberta, 2006

From his early days advertising on Shadowcrew, Dron had always received the warmest reviews for his work. ‘I received Dron’s skimmer yesterday afternoon,’ one satisfied customer posted on DarkMarket. ‘Spent the evening testing it and am very, very impressed. Dron has got a first-rate product here, one that’s well worth your time and money.’

Dron had been as good as his word. ‘Shipping was fast. The packaging was discreet,’ the poster continued. But it wasn’t the efficient dispatch of goods that made Dron so popular, it was the aftercare service he provided that ensured clients came back for more. ‘Now, customer service, for me, that’s really where Dron comes through. He sent updates to his buyers on a regular basis and when I emailed with my concerns or questions, I invariably had a reply within twenty-four hours. Pretty damn impressive.’

Thanks in large part to the Internet, the culture of consumer rights and expectations has finally filtered through into the criminal world. If a criminal was shafted by a vendor on the Internet, it would be difficult to track the offender down and deploy the traditional method of expressing one’s unhappiness at shoddy service – physical violence. Instead, criminals selling illegal wares over the Web have to compete by offering the best service.

In another age, Dron would have risen swiftly to the top. He may have left school at fifteen, but he combined this entrepreneurial flair with a creative streak. It was after his father had taught him how to play the stock market on the Internet that he came across the criminal