How a Four-Layer Underground Market Sells AI API Access at 97% Discount

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An underground economy known as the 'relay market' is selling access to frontier AI models like those from Anthropic and OpenAI at discounts of up to 97.8% off official list prices. The market operates across four layers: credential suppliers, account pools, relay services, and end users, primarily discussed on Chinese-language forums. Relay operators source tokens through stolen credit cards, bulk-registered free-trial accounts, and chargeback fraud, driving their per-token costs close to zero. Security researcher Matt Lenhard documented the structure after discovering forums where operators openly share methods and tools. Buyers range from individual developers to SaaS companies, with a notable share using the cheap access to distill frontier models into domestic AI alternatives.

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