For Individuals
Your personal information is being sold right now.
Not maybe. Not “if you’re unlucky.”
Right now. On the dark web. To the highest bidder.
And you probably have no idea it’s happening.
Let’s talk about what your data is actually worth, who’s buying it, what they’re doing with it, and most importantly—how to find out if you’re already compromised.
The internet has three layers:
1. Surface Web (What you see every day)
2. Deep Web (Private but not illegal)
3. Dark Web (Anonymous and often illegal)
The dark web isn’t inherently evil. It was designed for privacy and anonymity (useful for journalists, activists, whistleblowers).
But anonymity attracts criminals. And the dark web has become the world’s largest black market for stolen data.
Think of the dark web like eBay—but for stolen data and illegal services.
It’s not some mysterious, chaotic underground. It’s a structured marketplace with:
Seriously. Cybercriminals have better customer service than some legitimate businesses.
Let’s talk real numbers. Here’s what your information sells for on dark web marketplaces:
| Data Type | Price Range | Buyer’s Use |
|---|---|---|
| Full Identity Package (SSN, DOB, name, address) | $30 – $150 | Identity theft, tax fraud, loan applications |
| Social Security Number (US) | $1 – $8 | Tax fraud, credit applications |
| Driver’s License Scan | $20 – $35 | Identity verification, fake IDs |
| Passport Scan | $15 – $35 | International fraud, border crossing |
| Birth Certificate | $10 – $20 | Identity creation |
| Data Type | Price Range | Buyer’s Use |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Card with CVV | $5 – $110 (depending on balance/limit) | Fraudulent purchases |
| Bank Account Login | $65 – $190 | Direct theft, money laundering |
| PayPal Account (verified) | $10 – $340 | Money transfers, purchases |
| Cryptocurrency Wallet | 10% – 20% of balance | Direct theft |
| Online Banking with $2K+ balance | $120 – $240 | Wire transfers, bill pay fraud |
| Data Type | Price Range | Buyer’s Use |
|---|---|---|
| Email Account | $2 – $120 | Password resets, phishing, data mining |
| Social Media Account | $45 – $65 | Impersonation, scams, bot networks |
| Netflix/Streaming Account | $0.50 – $3 | Resale, personal use |
| Amazon Prime Account | $8 – $15 | Fraudulent purchases |
| Corporate Email Access | $500 – $3,000 | Corporate espionage, BEC attacks |
| Data Type | Price Range | Buyer’s Use |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Records (full) | $250 – $1,000 | Insurance fraud, prescription fraud |
| Health Insurance Details | $20 – $50 | Medical identity theft |
| Prescription Information | $15 – $25 | Drug acquisition |
| Data Type | Price Range | Buyer’s Use |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Credentials | $500 – $120,000+ | Ransomware, corporate espionage |
| Government Employee Data | $1,000 – $8,000 | Espionage, blackmail |
| C-Suite Executive PII | $1,000 – $5,000+ | Spear phishing, business email compromise |
| Zero-Day Exploit | $100,000 – $1,000,000+ | Advanced persistent threats |
Not just random hackers in basements. The dark web serves diverse criminal enterprises:
Organized crime groups operating identity theft at industrial scale. They buy in bulk, commit fraud systematically, and launder proceeds through complex networks.
Need corporate credentials to infiltrate networks. Your employer’s data is their entry point.
Foreign intelligence services buying data for espionage, political manipulation, or competitive advantage.
Corporate espionage is real. Your trade secrets and business intelligence have buyers.
Need real data to make their scams convincing. Your information validates their fake identities.
Amateur criminals buying cheap data to commit low-level fraud. Still ruins your credit.
Aggregating stolen data into comprehensive profiles to resell at higher prices. Building detailed dossiers on millions.
You didn’t put it there. So how did it get there?
1. Corporate Data Breaches (75% of dark web data) When major companies get breached, millions of records flood the market:
You didn’t do anything wrong. The company you trusted did.
2. Credential Harvesting (Phishing and Malware)
3. Database Vulnerabilities
4. Third-Party Breaches
5. Social Media Scraping
If you’ve had an account with any of these breached companies, your data is likely on the dark web:
Check: haveibeenpwned.com (enter your email to see known breaches)
Bad news: You can’t put it back.
Once data is on the dark web:
Your compromised data from a 2015 breach is still being used in 2025 attacks.
1. Have I Been Pwned (haveibeenpwned.com)
2. Google Password Checkup
3. Firefox Monitor (monitor.firefox.com)
Professional services (like Arestech) actively scan dark web marketplaces, forums, and databases for:
You get real-time alerts when new data appears.
Step 1: Don’t Panic (But Take It Seriously)
Your data being on the dark web doesn’t mean you’re automatically compromised. But it means you’re vulnerable.
Step 2: Change Every Password Immediately
Step 3: Monitor Your Financial Accounts
Step 4: Get Credit Monitoring
Step 5: Watch for Identity Theft Red Flags
Step 6: Ongoing Dark Web Monitoring
Don’t check once and forget. New data appears constantly.
Professional monitoring catches new exposures before they’re exploited.
Here’s the truth: You can’t prevent your data from ending up on the dark web.
You don’t control:
What you CAN control:
Arestech provides comprehensive dark web monitoring as part of our Privacy & Reputation Management module.
We scan:
Because you can’t protect what you don’t know is compromised.
Haydé Miranda
Cybersecurity Operations | Arestech
#Cybersecurity #DarkWeb #IdentityTheft #DataBreach #Privacy
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