Law enforcement agencies actively monitor Dark Web activities, and individuals involved in buying or selling SSNs can face criminal charges, including identity theft, fraud, and conspiracy. Cybercriminals can exploit this personal information for fraudulent activities, such as identity theft, credit card fraud, or opening false accounts. This creates a demand for SSNs on the Dark Web among individuals seeking to engage in illegal activities anonymously. CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. Remember, engaging in illegal activities on the Dark Web is highly risky and can have severe legal consequences.
The administrators of the sites ran servers in different countries to protect their anonymity and avoid the law, and would make their customers purchase the information through digital payment methods such as bitcoin, the DOJ said. No mention was made in the statement of whether the sites’ operators were apprehended in the operation. SSNDOB, an online marketplace that sold the names, social security numbers, and dates of birth of approximately 24 million US people, has been taken offline following an international law enforcement operation. Even if you manage to acquire a valid SSN, using it for illegal activities can have far-reaching consequences.
Operations
The U.S. investigation was led by CI Cyber Crimes Unit and the FBI – Tampa Division, with assistance from the CI Tampa Field Office. Substantial assistance was also provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices responsible for Latvia and Cyprus, the Latvian Police, and the Cypriot authorities. The U.S. investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Cyber Crimes Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tampa Division, with assistance from the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. Substantial assistance was also provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices responsible for Latvia and Cyprus, the Latvian Police, the Hungarian authorities, and the Cypriot authorities. “The theft and misuse of personal information is not only criminal but can have a catastrophic impact on individuals for years to come,” U.S. The SSNDOB Marketplace — which the DOJ said generated more than $19 million in sales revenue — was shut down in coordination with law enforcement agencies in Cyprus and Latvia.
- Instead, let us focus on staying informed about cybersecurity risks, maintaining strong online security practices, and promoting ethical behavior both on and off the internet.
- The Dark Web is a hidden part of the internet that is not accessible through traditional search engines.
- Furthermore, as we wrote about just yesterday, data in our Active Adversary Playbook 2022 suggests that an increasing number of network intrusions aren’t about disruptive ransomware attacks, they’re about taking the time to accumulate corporate data to sell on to other crooks.
- …and, in theory at least, you can keep trimming the probability down until it’s as good as certain that the only way someone could provide all the data you’re requesting is if they were, indeed, the true owner of the the SSN they presented to start with.
Buy SSN Online
The repercussions can include damaging someone else’s life, negatively impacting their credit, or causing them immense stress and hardship. The innocent individuals whose SSNs are being traded on the Dark Web often bear the brunt of these criminal activities. They may face difficulties in accessing loans, obtaining employment, or acquiring government benefits due to the fraudulent use of their personal information. Welcome to the dark underbelly of the internet, the enigmatic realm known as the Dark Web.
What Are The Impacts Of Fullz On Businesses?
In the next section, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how the process of buying an SSN on the Dark Web typically unfolds. Understanding this process can help you fully grasp the intricacies of this illicit trade and make an informed decision about your actions. Security company Chainanlysis, which markets “investigation software that connects cryptocurrency transactions to real-world entities,” wrote that “SSNDOB’s Bitcoin payment processing system has been active since April 2015” and “has received nearly $22 million worth of Bitcoin across over 100,000 transactions.” The U.S. investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (CI) Cyber Crimes Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tampa Division, with assistance from the IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office. Substantial assistance was also provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices responsible for Latvia and Cyprus, the Latvian Police, the Hungarian authorities, and the Cypriot authorities. Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Elmer Modesto Rodriguez Amador (41, Honduras) today pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.
About DataCheck
The SSNDOB Marketplace has listed the personal information for millions of individuals in the United States, generating more than $19 million in sales revenue. On June 7, 2022, seizure orders were executed against the domain names of the SSNDOB Marketplace, effectively ceasing the website’s operation. One of the significant risks of buying an SSN on the Dark Web is that you are engaging in illegal activity. Purchasing stolen or fake SSNs is a crime, and participating in this illicit trade can result in serious legal repercussions.
Speciality
The potential short-term gains or anonymity of the dark web are outweighed by the long-term legal and ethical implications. Respect for the law and the privacy and security of others should always take precedence over any illicit desires or curiosities. In this article, we explored what the dark web truly is – a hidden realm accessible only through specialized software like Tor. We learned about the significance of an SSN and why it holds value on the dark web, as well as the motivations behind individuals wanting to purchase an SSN. In the final section, we will conclude our exploration of the Dark Web and the risks and consequences of buying an SSN.
Name/SSN/DOB – Sample Data
The SSNDOB administrators created advertisements on darkweb criminal forums for the marketplace’s services, provided customer support functions, and regularly monitored the activities of the sites, including monitoring when purchasers deposited money into their accounts. According to court records, Chychasov and other Marketplace administrators advertised on dark web criminal forums for the Marketplace’s services, provided customer support functions, and regularly monitored the activities of the sites, including monitoring when purchasers deposited money into their accounts. The administrators also employed various techniques to protect their anonymity and to thwart detection of their activities, including strategically maintaining servers in various countries, and requiring buyers to use digital payment methods. The SSNDOB Marketplace listed for sale the personal information for millions of individuals in the United States, generating more than $19 million USD in sales revenue. According to court records, Chychasov and other Marketplace administrators advertised on dark web criminal forums for the Marketplace’s services, provided customer support functions, and regularly monitored the activities of the sites, including monitoring when purchasers deposited money into their accounts.
Site Isn’t Available?SAVE Our TOR-link:ssndobpwuw4qwqgyinppidgkwya72tkatwoc67i4g2mf3qct2dxfpgadonion
- This encryption and anonymization serve as strong incentives for criminals to conduct their activities within this hidden realm.
- ID verification is necessary because millions of identities are stolen across the United States each year.
- With an SSN, criminals can assume the identity of another person, open credit card accounts, obtain loans, and access various financial services illegally.
- Unlike the surface web, which is accessible to anyone with an internet connection, the Dark Web operates on a hidden network of servers and websites.
Using Chainalysis Reactor, we can see that SSNDOB’s Bitcoin payment processing system has been active since April 2015. Since then, the service has received nearly $22 million worth of Bitcoin across over 100,000 transactions. That works out to roughly $220 per transfer on average, and a median payment size of $80, which matches what we’d expect for individual purchases of PII. However, some transfers have been much larger — as high as more than $100,000 worth of Bitcoin — suggesting that some “power users” are buying PII from the service in bulk. U.S. law enforcement have announced the takedown of SSNDOB, a notorious marketplace used for trading the personal information — including Social Security numbers, or SSNs — of millions of Americans. This search verifies that the name provided by the applicant, their date of birth, and their social security number matches with the Social Security Administration’s records on the applicant.
The purpose of this guide is to provide an understanding of the general process, but it is strongly discouraged to participate in any illicit transactions or use stolen personal information. Despite its intended use for official purposes, an SSN is unfortunately highly sought after by criminals due to the potential for identity theft and financial fraud. It holds considerable value on the Dark Web and black markets, where it can be bought and sold for illegal activities. Lastly, it’s important to note that law enforcement agencies are actively working to combat dark web activities. Increased collaboration among international agencies and advancements in digital forensics have led to the successful identification and prosecution of individuals involved in illegal transactions on the Dark Web. Engaging in such activities puts you at risk of being caught and facing severe legal consequences.
We utilize automated software and cross-check results to ensure that your identity verification is fast, truthful, and precise. Identity verification, or SSN validation, is a great way to check that the legal name, date of birth, and address that applicants apply with are accurate. “SSNDOB was one of the largest crime shops offering a collection of personally identifiable information for fraudsters and played an integral part in fraud schemes The majority of the customers used the shop data for various types of scams from tax to bank fraud,” AdvIntel CEO Vitali Kremez told BleepingComputer. Thus the name SSNDOB Market that you see in the headline – an online data bazaar that wanted visitors to know that it sold at least matched-up SSNs and DOBs, along with other personally identifiable information (PII).
It is strongly advised to abstain from such activities for your own safety and the welfare of others. Regardless of the specific motives, it is crucial to understand that buying SSNs on the Dark Web carries significant risks. Engaging in such activities is illegal, and individuals involved can face severe legal consequences, including criminal charges, fines, and imprisonment.
Last week, Europol announced the shut down of FluBot, an Android trojan that steals online banking information, while the DOJ said it seized three domains used by cybercriminals to trade stolen personal information and facilitate distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks for hire. The operators of SSDOB are said to have employed various techniques to protect their anonymity and to thwart detection of their activities, including using online monikers that were distinct from their true identities and strategically maintaining servers in various countries, the DOJ said. On June 7, 2022, seizure orders were executed against the domain names of the SSNDOB Marketplace (ssndob.ws, ssndob.vip, ssndob.club, and blackjob.biz), effectively ceasing the website’s operation. Fullz are often used for identity theft, account takeovers, loan fraud, or other financial scams. The availability of fullz on dark web marketplaces and forums poses significant risks to individuals and businesses alike.
