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Prices for cloned credit cards and the accompanying account data for sale on the dark Web are on the rise, while data from hacked cryptocurrency accounts command some of the highest prices, according to a report from PrivacyAffairs.com, an online publication from Romania-based Zisk Web Ltd.
From October 2020 through February 2021, prices for stolen credit cards have increased between $4 and $55, depending on the type of card and the accompanying account data.
The price hikes are due to a combination of factors, including the increased risk criminals face in obtaining the data, the improved quality and accuracy of the card data, and inflation, says PrivacyAffairs.com. To entice buyers, sellers of stolen card data will typically guarantee that 80% of data sold is accurate, the report says.
Stolen online-banking logins for accounts with a minimum balance of $2,000 sell for $120 per account, up $55 from 2020. A cloned Mastercard card with a PIN sells for $25 per account, a $10 increase from 2020, while a Walmart account with a credit card attached sells for $14, a $4 dollar increase. Credit card data for an account with a credit line up to $1,000 saw a $3 increase to $15. Prices for cloned American Express and Visa cards with PINs, which sell for $35 and $25 respectively, remained flat.
Among the new card products tracked by PrivacyAffairs.com, hacked card accounts with card-verification values from Israel sell for $65 per account, while card account data with CVV numbers for the United States sell for $17. “You can see that USA hacked credit card details are valued the lowest (due to high supply), and Israel the highest,” the report says.
Data from hacked cryptocurrency accounts command the highest prices due to skyrocketing prices for Bitcoin and increasing values for other cryptocurrencies. A key factor driving prices is Bitcoin ATMs, which enable criminals to remove money from an account anonymously. In addition, hacked crypto accounts may hold large sums of coin-based currency and cash, protected by relaxed security measures after the initial verification process, says the report.
A verified Kracken account commands the highest price at $810 per account, followed by a Cex.io verified account at $710 per account. This is followed by a verified Coinbase account at $610 per account. A Crypto.com verified account sets the floor at $300 per account.
Kracken is a cryptocurrency platform for individuals and large trading firms. A Cex.io verified account allows an accountholder to buy cryptocurrency using her credit or debit card, make card deposits and withdrawals of up to $1,000 daily and up to $3,000 per month, and make unlimited crypto deposits and withdrawals. It also permits trading in available cryptocurrencies using market/limit orders and application programming interface tools.
PayPal account data is the most abundant available on the dark Web, making those accounts inexpensive compared to cryptocurrency accounts. In fact, the abundance of PayPal account data has dramatically driven down the price in some cases. A stolen PayPal account with a minimum $100 balance, for example, sold for $30 as of February, down from $199 in October.
In contrast, prices for actual transfers from a hacked PayPal account run as high as $340 per account and as low as $5 per account, depending on the amount of money criminals can transfer out of the account, the report says.
