| What's your identity worth to you?" our good name | | | | accounts...discount if you buy in bulk." |
| and credit is no doubt priceless to you. Even a less | | | | But you're being careful, right?" |
| than perfect, but legitimate credit score, is something | | | | With each on-line activity you participate in, you may |
| you can work on. But what is your identity worth to an | | | | be being careful about the amount of information that |
| identity theft? | | | | you share. However, according to Alfred Huger of |
| Are there really internet black markets out there for | | | | Symantec Security Response, identity thieves are now |
| the sale and purchase of your personal information? | | | | "packaging" stolen data. |
| Yes. According to firm Symantec, identity thieves are | | | | "These guys are going to the effort of data |
| paying $14.00 - $18.00 for stolen identities. Since identity | | | | warehousing this stuff and will steal or get data from |
| thieves stole over $49 billion dollars from consumers | | | | multiple sites," Huger explains. |
| and businesses in 2006 alone, identity thieves find this | | | | "Three years ago, this kind of commerce would have |
| to be a profitable price for your personal information. | | | | been exceptional: If your data was stolen there was |
| The scary thing is that this price has dropped | | | | maybe a chance it would be sold or battered around |
| drastically. | | | | on underground networks. Now it's pretty much a |
| Four years ago the going price on the black market | | | | certainty." |
| for a complete identity was $100-$150.00. Does this | | | | In 2006, Secure Science Corp., a company that |
| price drop mean that it is less attractive or less likely | | | | specializes that in recovering stolen financial information |
| for your identity to stolen? Unfortunately, no. | | | | that is stolen and sold on line found over 147,000 stolen |
| It's Supply and Demand. | | | | credit cards accounts in one month alone. |
| The lower prices for black market stolen identities is | | | | Identity thieves have even used consumer's own credit |
| because the black market has become more efficient. | | | | cards to find more information about the cardholder by |
| The price has dropped not because there is less of a | | | | purchasing background reports at sites like and |
| demand but there are more, and more efficient, identify | | | | Why would identity thieves pay to go to an ancestry |
| thieves collecting and offering consumers' personal | | | | site? |
| information for resale. | | | | Because you mother's maiden name is often used as |
| The faces of identity theft are changing. | | | | a security verification question. |
| The loner-geek type of basement-bound computer | | | | According to a report by Adreas M. Antonopolous |
| hackers are still there but they are being out numbered | | | | who writes for Network World, "If the black market |
| sophisticated cyber criminals operating in a network of | | | | economy were to be floated on the stock market it |
| elaborate web sites and chat rooms. Underworld sites | | | | would be valued at more than $5 billion. The only catch |
| have been found that sell- | | | | is that the black market for identity theft is growing at |
| * stolen account numbers | | | | more than 60% year-on-year, whereas some of the |
| * tools for making credit cards | | | | leading security companies have lost value in the last |
| * scanners to pick up card numbers and pins from | | | | year. Three years from now, the bad guys could be |
| ATMs | | | | better capitalized than the entire security industry." |
| * as well as viruses and malicious software | | | | Identity thieves are not only out there, they are out |
| * how to publications on fraud | | | | there in great numbers. They also have proven |
| One site even featured a "Hall of Shame" that listed | | | | methods for collecting your personal information and |
| defrauders who cheated other defrauders. Talk about | | | | proven markets for selling it that puts you at risk for |
| "honor among thieves." | | | | identity theft. When we consider what our identity is |
| Aided by RSA Security who works with law | | | | worth to us, we have to also consider what it is worth |
| enforcement to monitor such sites, one reporter | | | | the cyber criminal identity thieves in the identity theft |
| viewed a "carder" site, used by credit and debit card | | | | black market. |
| thieves, where a scammer bragged "I have bank | | | | |