Only 1.3M of the records contained email addresses, whilst most contained government issued identity numbers, names, addresses, occupations and employers, amongst other person information. The incident exposed over 4.8 million unique email addresses which were subsequently traded online over the ensuing years. In December 2022, the Crypto & NFT taxes service CoinTracker reported a data breach that impacted over 1.5M of their customers. The company later attributed the breach to a compromise SendGrid in an attack that targeted multiple customers of the email provider. The breach exposed email addresses and partially redacted phone numbers, with CoinTracker advising that the later did not originate from their service. In September 2014, a large dump of nearly 5M usernames and passwords was posted to a Russian Bitcoin forum.
In the mysterious depths of the internet lies a hidden world known as the Darknet. Within this secretive realm, various illicit activities take place, including carding – the unauthorized use of stolen credit card information for fraudulent purposes. Darknet carding sites have become notorious platforms for cybercriminals to trade stolen data and engage in illegal transactions. Let’s delve deeper into the dark underbelly of the internet and shed light on these shady operations.
Understanding Darknet Carding Sites
Dark web carding site BidenCash gives 1.2M payment cards for free
Darknet carding sites are clandestine online marketplaces specifically designed to facilitate the buying and selling of stolen credit card information. These platforms operate on the Darknet, a part of the internet that remains hidden from standard search engines and requires specialized software, such as Tor, to access.
Some dark web facts will shock you, others will scare you, and some apparent dark web “facts” are not facts at all. Then, get a powerful dark web monitoring tool to help protect your personal information against data loss, data leaks, and data breaches — even on the dark web. “Russia’s cybercrime crackdown — followed promptly by its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — spawned lower carding volumes for the remainder of the year. As war in Ukraine hampered cybercriminals’ ability to engage in card fraud, one top-tier carding shop exploited the lull in supply by flooding the market with recycled payment card records,” the researchers theorized.
online-hacking
- In March 2011, Roman Seleznev was indicted which means the Secret Service had enough evidence on him that they were accusing him of doing these crimes.
- In January 2021, the Indian book trading website Bookchor suffered a data breach that exposed half a million customer records.
- The user also provides evidence of the methodologies that they use as well as success rates and the period of time that it will take for the refund to be returned.
- The Hong Kong company produces learning products for children including software sold via the compromised website.
Carding sites often require potential buyers to register an account before gaining access to their offerings. Once inside, users can browse through a vast catalog of stolen credit card details that include the cardholder’s name, card number, expiration date, and sometimes even the CVV code.
The Risks Involved
Engaging in activities on darknet carding sites comes with significant risks:
How to access these deep web carding forums “safely”?
Onion sites are “crawled” and added to the list provided their “robots.txt” file permits it, and if it is not on their blacklist of sites with abuse material. You can’t access these .onion sites from your normal web browser—the one you’re probably viewing this page on. Before clicking any of the dark web links below, you’ll need to get the Tor Browser (also called the Onion Browser) or another service that provides dark web access, such as the Brave browser. Boasts over 50,000 registered members meaning there’s som serious activities going on here.
- Legal consequences: Participating in illegal activities like carding can lead to severe legal repercussions. Law enforcement agencies worldwide actively monitor these platforms and conduct operations to dismantle them.
- Financial losses: Purchasing stolen credit card information can result in financial loss, as fraudsters may empty victims’ bank accounts or make unauthorized purchases using their cards.
- Identity theft: By providing personal information to carding sites, users risk becoming victims of identity theft themselves.
- Compromised cybersecurity: Accessing carding sites exposes users to malware, hacking attempts, and other cyber threats easily found within this nefarious environment.
In approximately March 2017, the file sharing website Bolt suffered a data breach resulting in the exposure of 995k unique user records. The data was sourced from their vBulletin forum and contained email and IP addresses, usernames and salted MD5 password hashes. In May 2015, the Bitcoin forum Bitcoin Talk was hacked and over 500k unique email addresses were exposed. The attack led to the exposure of a raft of personal data including usernames, email and IP addresses, genders, birth dates, security questions and MD5 hashes of their answers plus hashes of the passwords themselves. Data matching that pattern was later provided to Have I Been Pwned by @akshayindia6 and included almost 1.3m unique email addresses, genders, ages and plain text passwords. In June 2020, the AI training data company Appen suffered a data breach exposing the details of almost 5.9 million users which were subsequently sold online.
Carding marketplaces are dark web sites that trade stolen credit card information, enabling threat actors to commit financial fraud with the stolen data. The Nilson Report, which monitors the payment industry, released a forecast last week, predicting that U.S. losses from card fraud will total $165.1 billion over the next ten 10 years. The information is then used to make fraudulent transactions digitally or with a counterfeit credit card. A skimmer device installed on a gas pump or ATM is often noticeable as the hardware will protrude out past the payment key panel as the device must sit on top and affixed to the installed credit card reader. Many pumps in the U.S. now include a visible security label that will change colors or provide noticeable indication if it has been tampered with. Often fraudsters specializing in skimming turn the skimmed magnetic data into dumps for resale in the darknet.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Are all activities on the Darknet illegal?
No, not all activities on the Darknet are illegal. While it does harbor a significant amount of illicit content, the Darknet also serves as a platform for whistleblowers, activists, and individuals seeking privacy in repressive regimes.
2. How can I protect myself from carding sites?
To safeguard yourself from the risks associated with darknet carding sites, follow these measures:
- Use strong, unique passwords: Create strong and complex passwords for all your online accounts, including banking and email.
- Maintain updated antivirus software: Regularly update your antivirus software to detect and prevent malware infections.
- Be cautious with personal information: Avoid sharing sensitive information on suspicious websites or platforms.
- Monitor your financial statements: Regularly review your bank and credit card statements for any unauthorized transactions.
3. Can law enforcement trace activities on darknet carding sites?
While the Darknet provides a certain level of anonymity, law enforcement agencies have developed sophisticated techniques to track down criminals operating on these platforms. Collaboration between international agencies has resulted in successful operations against numerous darknet marketplaces.
In Conclusion
Darknet carding sites represent a dangerous aspect of the internet, enabling cybercriminals to profit from stolen credit card data. However, it’s essential to remember that the Darknet is not solely a criminal haven, as it also serves legitimate purposes. Protecting oneself from the perils of darknet carding sites requires staying vigilant, practicing good cybersecurity hygiene, and avoiding involvement in illegal activities.
