What is carding? Recognizing and preventing credit card fraud

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Aren't credit cards bliss? However, carding is the complete opposite of this. Speaking of the convenience of credit cards that we are blessed with, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, more than 175 million Americans own credit cards. Amazing, right? Everything is just a swipe! You want it, you get it... but only when your wallet allows it.

Carding, as the name suggests, is a credit card scam in which the cards are used to purchase gift cards. However, this is not the case. A carding hacker can do much more with a stolen credit card.

This article offers a detailed description of what carding is, an overview of a carding site, what makes it illegal, and ways to combat credit card fraud. Let's find out everything!

Note: We recommend that you use VPN to hide your online activity. A reliable VPN will protect your data from a hacker hiding your IP address.

What is carding?​

This is a type of fraud in which a card hacker uses stolen credit cards for illegal financial activities. Carding can facilitate the following:
  • Laundering of money
  • Selling data on illegal sites
  • Trick people to install malware
  • Hack the site's payment system
  • Buy gift cards
  • Make illegal purchases
This is only a small part of what carding can lead to, and the statistics on this type of fraud are already quite high.

According to Ascent, credit card fraud became the predominant form of identity theft in 2022, accounting for 440,666 2023 reported incidents. In the first three quarters, 318,087 credit card fraud reports were filed. This indicates the persistent prevalence of this cybercrime.

Criminals don't need the stolen credit card to be physically there just for carding purposes. As a rule, in a significant number of cases only card data will be useful. This information may leak if you do not protect your personal banking information.

For this reason, we recommend that you use a reliable VPN, such as FastestVPN. Its robust features such as WireGuard protocol and military-grade AES 256 encryption.

Is carding illegal?​

Yes, carding is illegal. Since the credit card is used to commit financial crimes, this makes it illegal. The severity of this crime depends on regional and state laws. In the USA Federal fines including up to 20 years in prison.

It's not just the physical presence of a card that leads to card fraud: data leaks, spyware and card cloning all contribute equally. A basic step to reduce risk involves using a reliable VPN. From military-grade encryption to WireGuard protocol, it offers the best features at an affordable price.

What is the carding process?​

Card fraud involves a simple method in which criminals, commonly called “carders,” steal your credit card information.

They subsequently confirm its usability by entering data on the payment platform. Once verified, they use the stolen information to purchase prepaid gift cards that allow them to purchase high-value items that can be resold for cash.

The effectiveness of carding lies in the variety of methods available to steal credit card data, combined with the immediate use of online stores to conduct fraudulent transactions.

What Leads to Fraud: Carding Explained​

Here are the main factors that lead to carding:

1. Data leaks​

Financial institutions such as banks are always on the verge of cyber attacks. And now that these banks are just a tap away (online banking), we are all prone to data breaches. As a rule, it is a data leak that leads to carding through a card site.

A reliable VPN, like FastestVPN, is critical to preventing these attacks. Without a reliable VPN, a data breach will result in access to your personal information, such as bank details. This data leads to verification of the stolen card details, and voila, carding awaits!

2. Automated attacks​

Bot attacks, using bots that generate or hack cards, have gained significant popularity in the card fraud industry. This approach can generate thousands of potential card numbers, with advanced bots only needing your credit card number to use brute force methods to obtain the remaining card details.

3. Phishing​

Carders use deceptive tactics by posing as a credit card company or card processor, tricking people into revealing their credit card information or other necessary information to verify the card. These fraudulent attempts usually occur through misleading emails or fake websites.

What are the types of carding methods?​

Criminals who engage in card fraud are called “carders.” They steal your credit card information and also provide verification of information. The most common of these is sending requests about the absence of a card for online purchases.

According to Statista, global losses from card fraud rose more than 10% between 2020 and 2021, the largest increase since 2018. dollars attributed only to the United States.

As mentioned above, carding does not lead to a specific action. Instead, there's a whole list waiting for you!

Here are 3 carding methods:

1. Carding forums​

A carding site or carding forums are online platforms that facilitate the exchange of information and technical knowledge related to illegal trading using stolen credit or debit card information. Fraudsters use the card site to exchange illegally obtained information.

Despite advances such as the introduction of PIN codes and chips that have made it more difficult to use stolen cards at point-of-sales, card-not-present sales are still the primary focus of card thieves, prompting extensive debate on the carding website. .

2. Credit card dump​

By referring to a digital copy of the stolen card data, cybercriminals purchase these credit card dumps to make unauthorized and illegal transactions. According to the National Institute of Justice, the most common items sold were dumps, including 34.9% of stolen credit card data.

Meanwhile, the number of credit card dumps has increased significantly in previous years, with millions of victims now included in the card list.

3. Full information (Fullz)​

Fullz is a common term among hacker groups that share information from stolen cards. Simply put, these are sets of stolen data. And for carding, Fullz is just happiness.

This information is later used to verify identity. Meanwhile, information sold as Fullz is never a direct part of the transaction.

Mitigation Steps: How can we stop card fraud?​

Be it an individual or an organization, all data on the Internet will never be safe, highlighting the importance of data protection through FastestVPN.

According to the Nilson Report, which monitors the payments industry, in December 2022 it projected that losses from card fraud in the United States would reach $165.1 billion over the next decade, affecting people of all ages in all states.

Here is a list of basic measures to prevent card fraud:

1. Secure credit card authentication​

Most platforms today recommend two-factor authentication, and that's for the good. By providing strong credit card authentication measures, such as a passkey, you can ensure increased security for your personal banking information.

2. Use a VPN​

A reliable VPN, protects your digital information from leaking to hackers. Its features include DNS leak protection and 256-bit AES encryption to ensure impenetrable data tunnels.

3. Monitor your activity​

If you notice any unusual events in your card transaction history caused by a carding hacker, for example:
  • Regular small purchases
  • Discrepancies in transactions with unfamiliar sellers
  • Unauthorized withdrawal of funds
Contact your bank or credit card issuer immediately to suspend your card. Moreover, vigilantly checking your card statements upon receipt can also serve as an early indicator of potential card attacks.

Frequently Asked Questions - What is carding​


What is carding?​

Carding is a credit card scam in which a stolen credit card is used to charge prepaid cards at a carding site.

How is credit card fraud detected?​

Card fraud is detected through merchants. Credit card fraud can be easily detected by partnering with banks and providing all the necessary transaction data.

How to stop fraudulent transactions?​

You can stop fraudulent transactions by reporting them to your bank and following their instructions. Usually in this case we recommend deactivating the card.

Summarizing​

In this article, we briefly looked at the carding process, its methods and ways to prevent fraud.

(c) https://fastestvpn.com/ru/blog/что-такое-кардинг/
 
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