Secret Chat Rooms for Identity Thieves

Have you ever wondered how so many identity thieves obtain the information necessary to take over someone's finances. Sure, many will do the foot work using the methods I've discussed earlier such as mail theft, phishing scams, card skimmers, dumpster diving, etc. However, it isn't always necessary to go to that kind of trouble when you can use the information someone else has obtained and sold. There are online communities that do just that. Sell identities.

There are online message boards and chat rooms where social security numbers, birth dates, credit card numbers, and bank account details are exchanged. These websites are nearly impossible for the even the most savvy of web users to find, but they exist with hackers selling identifying information amongst one another. A skilled identity thief can cost a victim thousands of dollars while only being charged a few dollars for a credit card number.

While this is obviously disturbing, it doesn't surprise me. Identity theft becomes easier with our current technology. So those collecting more information than they can use will gladly pass it along for a few extra dollars, and entire underground communities are doing this. It makes me hope my information is being sold on these sites.