The most famous carders

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The history of carding knows many examples of carders who became famous for their large-scale attacks, data thefts and damage they caused to companies and individuals. However, it is worth emphasizing that all of these people were sooner or later caught by law enforcement agencies, and their criminal activities led to serious legal consequences, including long prison sentences.

Here is a list of some of the most famous carders:

1. Albert Gonzalez​

• Country: USA
• Notoriety: One of the most famous hackers and carders in history.
• Crimes:
  • Member of a group that hacked the systems of major companies, including TJ Maxx, Dave & Buster's, Heartland Payment Systems and others.
  • More than 170 million credit cards were stolen.
  • The total damage amounted to about $200 million.
• Consequences:
  • In 2010 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
  • Used his skills to work with law enforcement before he began committing crimes.

2. Vladimir Drinkman​

• Country: Russia
• Notoriety: Leader of an international hacker group specializing in data theft.
• Crimes:
  • Organized attacks on companies such as NASDAQ, JCPenney, JetBlue and others.
  • More than 160 million credit cards were stolen.
  • The total damage is estimated at $300 million.
• Consequences:
  • Arrested in 2012 in the Netherlands and extradited to the United States.
  • In 2015 he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

3. Roman Seleznev​

• Country: Russia
• Notoriety: Carder who specialized in stealing credit card data and selling it on the black market.
• Crimes:
  • Hacked into the systems of restaurants and stores in the USA.
  • The stolen data was used to carry out fraudulent operations that caused losses amounting to more than $169 million.
• Consequences:
  • Arrested in 2014 in the Maldives and extradited to the United States.
  • In 2017, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison, one of the longest sentences for cybercriminals.

4. Max Butler (Max Vision)​

• Country: USA
• Notoriety: Hacker who created one of the largest databases of stolen credit cards.
• Crimes:
  • Created the CardersMarket platform, where stolen credit card data was sold.
  • More than 2 million credit cards were stolen.
  • The total damage amounted to about $86 million.
• Consequences:
  • Arrested in 2007.
  • Sentenced to 13 years in prison.

5. Dmitry Smilianets​

• Country: Russia
• Notoriety: Member of Vladimir Drinkman's group.
• Crimes:
  • Participated in attacks on major companies, including NASDAQ and Carrefour.
  • Sold stolen data on the black market.
• Consequences:
  • Arrested in 2013.
  • Sentenced to 40 months in prison.

6. Hector Monsegur (aka Sabu)​

• Country: USA
• Notoriety: Leader of the hacker group LulzSec, affiliated with Anonymous.
• Crimes:
  • Attacks on Sony Pictures, PBS, Fox and other companies.
  • Stealing data, including credit cards and personal information of users.
• Consequences:
  • After his arrest, he became an FBI informant.
  • Avoided a long prison sentence by cooperating with authorities.

7. Evgeniy Bogachev​

• Country: Russia
• Notoriety: One of the most wanted cybercriminals in the world.
• Crimes:
  • Developed the GameOver Zeus malware, which was used to steal banking data.
  • The damage is estimated at $100 million or more.
• Consequences:
  • He is wanted by the FBI.
  • A $3 million reward has been offered for information leading to his whereabouts .

8. Paul Wilson (Paolo Pagano, aka "Supreme" or "King")​

• Country: United Kingdom
• Notoriety: One of the leaders of the ShadowCrew group, which was involved in carding.
• Crimes:
  • Organizing forums for selling stolen data.
  • Participation in attacks on financial institutions.
• Consequences:
  • Arrested in 2004.
  • Received a prison sentence.

Why are they caught?​

Carders often become victims of their own greed and mistakes. Some of them continue to live a luxurious lifestyle, attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies. Others are caught due to conflicts within criminal groups or thanks to new investigative technologies.

Conclusion:​

Although some carders have made a fortune from their illegal activities, they all eventually faced justice. Their stories serve as a clear example of how criminal activity does not pay and sooner or later leads to devastating consequences.

If you are interested in cybersecurity, it is better to use your knowledge to protect systems and fight fraudsters, rather than to commit crimes.