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The sale of American social security numbers through dark channels is a booming business that rakes in millions upon millions for criminals.
It costs only $4 to buy a social security number (SSN) on the dark web, according to a new report that compiles the results of a two-year investigation by Atlas VPN, a leading virtual network provider.
How do your numbers end up for sale on the dark web in the first place?
One of the most common scams is a phone call telling you that your SSN has been suspended due to suspicious activity or because it’s been involved in a crime. The caller then requests the victim’s SSN to verify identity and to reactivate, or any other number of excuses.
In 2018, these numbers raked in nearly $17 million for criminals, and chances are, it’s still a booming business. That year, more than 63,000 Americans were taken in by this scam, based on reports to the Federal Trade Commission. That’s up from 3,200 in 2017.
As a result of this crime, consumers lost more than $16.6 million, or about $1,484 per person.
According to the Atlas VPN study, there is quite a menu of items for sale on the dark web, beyond your $4 SSN.
Source: AtlasVPN
The details you need to access someone’s bank account with at least a $10,000 balance go for about $25 — a price that fluctuates depending on the victim’s credit score. For a hit with a good credit score, the cost is higher. The logic is that it’s easier to run fraudulent transactions through a system if you’re linked to a strong credit score. Credit card details for cards with a limit or available balance of $1,000-$5,000 are sold for about $10, Atlas said.
Also for sale by dark vendors are forged documents. A physical passport can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000, depending on which country is in question and how high the demand is for that country. U.S. passports cost around 3,000, while less often requested passports, such as those for European Union member countries, run closer to $5,000.
