Here’s How Much Identity Thieves Get Paid for Your Stolen Information

What’s someone willing to pay for your credit card number? Your airline ticket? Your Netflix account information?

Not a whole lot. Which is disappointing — in a twisted way, I suppose.

Symantec Corporation recently released its April 2017 Internet Security Report — 77 pages about last year’s internet happenings. We already wrote about the sobering identity theft statistics here.

But, tucked toward the end of the report is a list of underground marketplace prices. Basically, it’s how much identity thieves are getting for your stolen information.

In the past, Symantec researchers found that credit card and personal information were hot commodities, but there’s an increasing interest in media accounts (think: Netflix, Spotify).

“While the prices they can charge for these accounts are low, if an attacker has compromised a device it is likely they will have this account information anyway, so they attempt to sell it on in an effort to maximize their profits,” the report says.

The underground economy even has a demand for gift cards, airline tickets, Uber accounts… you name it.

Here are some of the going rates for your accounts and information:

• One credit card: 5 cents to $30
• Media streaming services: 10 cents to $10
• Hotel reward program accounts with 100K points: $10 to $20
• Airline frequent flyer miles account with 10K points: $5 to $20
• Taxi app accounts with credit: 5 cents to $1
• Online retail gift cards: 20 to 65 percent of face value
• Restaurant gift cards: 20% to 40% of face value
• Airline ticket and hotel bookings: 10% of face value
• Cash-out money transfer service: 10% to 20% of the account’s value
• Online bank accounts: 0.5% to 10% of the account’s balance
• Retailer accounts: $20 to $50
• Identity (name, Social Security number and birthday: 1 cent to $1.50
• Scanned passports and other documents (like a utility bill): $1 to $3

I’m not going to lie, these price tags made me feel a little cheap (especially the social security one… come on, guys!).

However, I take extra precautions to protect myself — and it’s free.

I signed up for a service called TrueIdentity from TransUnion. There, I can check in on my credit score and sign up for text alerts if someone tries tinkering with my credit.

Now, it won’t tell me if someone’s compromised my Uber account, but it does keep tabs on the big thing: my identity.

Now that you know what you’re worth, I encourage you to combat the thieves with me.

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. We’re letting you know because it’s what Honest Abe would do. After all, he is on our favorite coin.

Carson Kohler (@CarsonKohler) is a junior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

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