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Cyber crooks obtain and resell user information for minimal amount

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON – Cyber crooks often hack and resell passwords and email credentials from popular online retail accounts, such as Amazon.com and Walmart.com. However, they aren’t making as much money off of private information as one might assume.

Krebs on Security reviewed several “resell websites” and found that usernames and passwords to popular online retail accounts sell for just a couple of dollars each.

However, information from accounts with ups.com and fedex.com are worth about $5 each. If the hacked account comes with credentials to an email address, hackers receive about $2 more.

Krebs on Security reports some logs of user credentials and browser history are sold for a bulk rate of over $100, depending on how many gigabytes are sold at a time.

Hackers use browsing history to obtain credit card numbers or addresses that online shoppers enter upon login or purchase.

WTOP’s Veronica Robinson contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2013 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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