Stolen Aussie credit cards sell for under $50 on black market

Stolen Australian credit cards are being sold for under US$40 ($52.90) in underground hacker forums and black markets, according to research from Dell SecureWorks.

The company’s third annual report into underground hacker markets shows that the typical price for stolen Visa and MasterCard credit cards from Australia ranges from US$25 to US$35.

Stolen Australian bank account credentials have meanwhile sold for up to US$4750 for an account with a balance of US$62,567. Banking credentials typically sell for between 1% and 5% of the account balance.

Hackers on the markets charge up to US$129 to hack email and social media accounts. They are also offering unscrupulous businesses the chance to disrupt rivals with DDoS attacks for as low as US$5 per hour, US$50 per day, US$350 per week or US$1000 per month.

The report also shows that prices for popular types of malicious software have fallen significantly, with a common remote-access Trojan now selling for between US$5 and US$10.

Researchers found ATM skimming devices on sale for as little as US$400, Angler exploit kits starting at US$100 and online tutorials for a range of topics, including DDoS attacks and cracking Wi-Fi networks, from US$20.

Sellers are meanwhile becoming more professional, posting profiles detailing their level of professionalism, experience and — ironically — honesty.

Dell SecureWorks said the research shows that “the underground marketplace is booming and only getting bigger, more sophisticated, and competitive”.

Image courtesy of Cory Doctorow under CC