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British “Identity Pack” including ID scan, selfie and profile datacriminals can dark web New research shows that it can be done for just £30.
as identity theft The rise continues, with experts finding national identity documents, driving licenses, credit card details and British “frequent flyer” passports being sold for as much as £2,000.
This information can be used in a variety of ways to apply for a credit card, mortgage, car loan, or open a bank account.
Anti-money laundering expert group AMLTRIX analyzed 25 active darknet markets in early December, revealing the multiple ways in which Britons’ stolen data is used.
Its co-founder Gabrielius Erikas Bilkstys said: “Complete ID packages with ID scanning and selfie capabilities are now cheap enough that criminals can buy them in bulk, and if that’s not enough, the darknet also offers other more reliable but more expensive options.”
“This reflects how frequently the same personal data is stolen and resold, as well as how industrialized this market is.”
Some of the highest value items are KYC verified UK business bank accounts for amounts ranging from £900 to £2,000. Accounts at major banks such as NatWest and Barclays are at the upper end of the range, according to AMLTRIX data.
A NatWest spokesman said: “We take protecting our customers from financial crime very seriously, which is why we operate robust fraud and security systems and work with partners across the wider digital ecosystem.”
Barclays has been contacted for comment.
The research also found that hacked UK Amazon accounts are worth an average of £15, while login details for subscription services such as Netflix cost around £10.
Counterfeit Bank of England notes are also being sold, often for around 25% to 35% of their face value. Some suppliers claim that their banknotes pass UV inspection and provide low-value sample orders as proof of quality.
While in many cases the data being sold is legitimate, AMLTRIX also notes that there have been multiple cases of scams.
Once the data is online, the same identity can be reused to commit identity theft. Often, AMLTRIX says, the initial victim is unaware of this until debt collectors or law enforcement become involved.
Mr. Bilkestis said one of the main misconceptions for organizations is to view the dark web as an entirely separate world. “Many organizations still view the darknet as a distant, exotic threat.
“In fact, it is closely related to the daily phishing campaigns, large data breaches, account takeovers and money laundering cases that compliance teams already deal with.”
UK fraud prevention service Cifas found more than 118,000 cases of identity fraud were recorded between January and June last year.
David Wall, a cybercrime expert at the University of Leeds, said: “The problem exists on two levels. [Firstly]personal data that may become the victim of financial loss, which occurs through account takeover, or more likely through fraud via a phone number impersonating the victim’s own bank. Another level accesses data at the organizational level. ”
According to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), 43% of UK businesses reported experiencing a cybersecurity breach or attack in 2024.
Wall said criminals would collect this data, process it and then sell it to other criminals. “Some datasets are scams by one group of crooks trying to deceive another group, but other datasets are genuine and provide initial access to an organization.
“This is very concerning as they have contributed to some of the larger cyberattacks, primarily ransomware attacks, that most Western countries have experienced in recent years.”
