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Your Stolen Identity Goes For $20 On the Internet Black Market
HughPickens.com writes: Keith Collins writes at Quartz that the going rate for a stolen identity is about twenty bucks on the internet black market. Collins analyzed hundreds of listings for a full set of someone's personal information—identification number, address, birthdate, etc., known as "fullz" that were put up for sale over the past year, using data collected by Grams, a search engine for the dark web. The listings ranged in price from less than $1 to about $450, converted from bitcoin. The median price for someone's identity was $21.35. The most expensive fullz came from a vendor called "OsamaBinFraudin," and listed a premium identity with a high credit score for $454.05. Listings on the lower end were typically less glamorous and included only the basics, like the victim's name, address, social security number, perhaps a mother's maiden name. Marketplaces on the dark web, not unlike eBay, have feedback systems for vendors ("cheap and good A+"), refund policies (usually stating that refunds are not allowed), and even well-labeled sections. "There is no shortage of hackers willing to do about anything, computer related, for money," writes Elizabeth Clarke. "and they are continually finding ways to monetize personal and business data."
OsamaBinFraudin is a bombastic nickname.
I used to work for a large card processor back in the 90's. Our call centers were staffed with temp employees as CSA's, which provided a way for gangs to infiltrate the company so that they could get customer personal info, purchase history and lots of other financial info. I remember one time while working on the call center floor when some men from the company's security division along with six cops rounded up 5 members of one of these gangs and hauled them off in hand cuffs. Given how porous that networks have been during the last 10-15 years I doubt they even bother trying to get people on the inside anymore.
>> you're now on record for doing one of the most unethical things imaginable?
Our last three presidents collectively admitted to smoking pot, using cocaine, driving drunk, sleeping around, eating dog and more. Career-wise, I'll be fine.
I'd expect that it's the teenagers who are currently making racist comments on their Facebook feeds that can expect a lifetime of career-aborting revelations.