San Francisco, May 3 (IANS): Cybercriminals operating on the dark web are reportedly selling verified, hacked crypto accounts on the darknet for as little as $30 each.
According to the "Dark Web Price Index" by online data security provider Privacy Affairs, cybercriminals are selling various types of fraudulently obtained financial account information on the dark web, reports Cointelegraph.
The prices of some of the ill-gotten verified cryptocurrency accounts include -- Kraken ($1,170), Binance ($410), Crypto.com ($300), Coinbase ($250), Blockchain.com ($85), and US-verified Bittrex account ($30), among others.
These figures represent a significant surge from the prices that were paid for the same account details in 2022, according to data from the 2022 edition of the Dark Web Price Index.
Last year, cybercriminals were able to purchase verified Kraken and Binance accounts for as little as $260 and $250, respectively.
Moreover, the report said that cryptocurrency accounts aren't the only items on the list.
Login credentials for online bank accounts with balances of up to $2,000 are sold for $60, while account information for credit cards with up to $5,000 is sold for just $110.
Darknet hackers are also offering login details for a range of social media accounts, such as Facebook, Airbnb, and Gmail, with prices starting as low as $25 per account.
In response to these alarming figures, Privacy Affairs security researcher Miklos Zoltan said that internet users must be more cautious with their personal information than ever before, the report mentioned.
"If someone gets their hands on your financial details or social media credentials, the prices mentioned above are basically what it's worth to them," Zoltan was quoted as saying.
The rise in the number of account hacks targeting popular crypto exchanges has become an increasingly pressing issue within the industry.
Last month, Seychelles-based cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin said that its Twitter account was hacked, allowing threat actors to promote a fraudulent giveaway scam, which resulted in the theft of more than $22.6K worth of cryptocurrency.
However, the company said that it will fully reimburse all verified asset losses caused by the social media breach and the fake activity.