The infamous dark web is a known entity that is full of mysteries and evil people who give it the status its known for. Dark web is a very dangerous concept that gives criminals the opportunity to steal information and sell it for a profit. With the open opportunity and people having the ability to buy and sell personal information with it being in high demand, it is no surprise that criminal focus making money on stealing information of innocent people and selling it to other criminals who use that information to commit crimes.
The scary part of information being sold on the dark web is that you never know if your information is on there or how it will be used.
Information on innocent people will vary from small not too important amounts of information to private information. The type of information that could be potentially sold usually range from where you live to your SSN and credit card information. Depending on your available credit limit credit card information with the CVV usually range from $17- $20. A small price for information that can cost you thousands. Criminals use stolen credit cards to buy as much items as possible that are instant purchases and usually buy until the card is maxed out or until it is not usable anymore. The price of an SSN varies but it is usually half of what a credit card information would cost.
With a stolen SSN, cyber criminals can use this number to open new credit cards under your name or other financial accounts that will harm your credit report and potentially harm you financially. Any use of your personal information whether it is harmless or not should not be taken lightly and further action and future prevention should be administered.
Cyber criminals usually find a way to obtain your information on public websites before selling it on the dark web. Victims are usually lured into a trap without even knowing and as soon as they do notice, it is usually too late. Theft of credit cards is usually done over the internet or even at times with physical software. A type of physical software that criminals use are credit card skimmers. Criminals usually place these in discrete places or on top of an actual company skimmer to trick you into putting your credit card information on their skimmer.
Credit card skimmers are usually located in gas stations as they have a high traffic of people who come and go quickly. Criminals place them on top of where you insert your card so the transaction can go through and it can take your information without you even knowing. Cyber criminals can also take your credit card information through just the internet alone. This is usually done through methods via phishing and/or unsecure public WI-FI hotspots.
Phishing emails and phone calls pretending to be a bank or consumer entity poach you until you give out your information or accidently download their malware. Unsecure networks also put your information at a great risk because with the right tools anyone can see what activity and information you are transmitting.
You never know what you might encounter that will lead to a criminal selling your credit card information on the dark net. It is very important to be caution and always alert when paying with a credit card and inputting that information into an online entity. Some ways to ensure your credit card information is safe is to never make online payments over an unsecure network. Payments and you inputting your credit card info should only be done to trusted sources and websites that are legitimate.
When paying with your physical card at a gas station, store, or when using the ATM be sure to look for false credit card skimmers that usually stick out or are easily taken down with a little bit of force.
Not being cautious can lead to your information being sold on the Dark Web without your knowledge. Always be cautious and be aware because you never know if your information can be on the dark web.