$1,170 Is How Much You're Worth On The Dark Web: (2024)

FAQs

$1,170 Is How Much You're Worth On The Dark Web:? ›

"According to the Dark Web Market Price Index released by the independent VPN review site Top10VPN, a thief could purchase your entire online identity for approximately $1,170 if enough of your relevant information were there.

In fact, a Social Security number may only net a cyber criminal a mere $2 each, according to Radware. The most lucrative pieces of personal data are health records and passport information.

An individual's personal information can be worth more than $1,000 on the dark web amid a spike in cyber crime and identity fraud, according to a new study by cybersecurity researcher Privacy Affairs.

What kind of personal data is on the dark web? Some of the most common personal data bought and sold on the dark web includes: Credit card, debit card and bank account information. Personally identifiable information, like your name, date of birth, SSN or driver's license number.

According to recent research, cybercriminals can start purchasing personally identifiable information (PII) for as little as $15. That would buy you a hacked credit card with CVV information. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

When your SSN and other personal information is leaked on the Dark Web, cybercriminals may use those details to steal your identity. They could go as far as getting a job in your name. Commit tax fraud. Scammers can use your SSN to file fraudulent tax returns and commit other tax crimes.

SSNs don't sell for much compared with other more lucrative documents such as medical records, which often retail for $2,000 per file. The standard going rate for an SSN is $3 to $4, and that price can escalate to around $8 for a full personal profile or "fullz," which includes more detailed information.

Run a free Dark Web scan

This is a good place to start — however, free scanners only check for email addresses (and sometimes phone numbers). To see if your financial data, SSN, or IDs have been leaked, you need to sign up for a Dark Web monitoring service.

Complete stolen identities (aka "Fullz") sell for $5-$30, depending on the amount of PII available. Buying a complete (aka, "Fullz") or nearly complete stolen identity is a modest investment.

Personal data value can range from $0.01 a month to hundreds of dollars per month. Some data is invaluable as it's the difference of protection of your family with geolocation data.

What is the most common thing sold on the dark web? ›

Drugs such as cannabis are commonly sold on the dark web. Fraud takes up around 70% of non-drug related illicit trade on the dark web. Illegal things you can buy on the dark web: Recreational drugs such as cannabis.

While you can't remove your credentials from the dark web, knowing what information was compromised can help you take action to better protect yourself from future identity theft and fraud.

If your phone number or other sensitive data appears on the dark web, you need to take steps to secure your online accounts. Start by enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA).

For approximately $1,000, criminals can obtain a full range of documents and account details, enabling them to commit identity theft. Forged documents, such as driving licenses, passports, and auto-insurance cards, can also be ordered to match stolen data.

There is no set price on data on the dark web. Some believe it spans as high as US$2,000, while others put it around US$800. Everything sells on the dark web, from PayPal login credentials to fake passports and Facebook profile data to credit card details.

A dark web scan can help you find out if your information has been exposed. A dark web scan is a service offered by companies that will search the dark web for you, combing through its large databases of stolen usernames, passwords, Social Security numbers, and credit card numbers for sale.

The current Social Security card is made of banknote paper and serves only as an official verification of the SSN assigned by SSA to the person whose name is on the card. The card is neither proof of the bearer's identity nor citizenship/noncitizen status and has no transaction value or data storage capability.

Why You Need an SSN. A Social Security number is very important to have due to its direct connection to the future benefits you may be entitled to receive from the U.S. government. An SSN is used to track an individual's yearly earnings and the number of years they've worked.

Social Security benefits are much more modest than many people realize; the average Social Security retirement benefit in February 2024 was about $1,862 per month, or about $22,344 per year. (The average disabled worker and aged widow each received less.)

Your Social Security number is not a bank account. It is a unique number assigned to you by the United States government that distinguishes you from every other person in its system.