The era of carding

[ExcalibuR]

The Carding Era is a period in the history of cybercrime associated with the mass distribution and development of methods, tools and communities specializing in carding. Carding is a type of fraudulent activity aimed at the illegal use of bank card data, their theft, sale or creation of counterfeit cards for financial fraud.

1. What is carding?​

Carding includes several key stages:

• Data collection: Fraudsters gain access to bank card data through security vulnerabilities, phishing, malware (such as Trojans) or database leaks.
• Data verification: Using special services (for example, "checkers"), the validity of the stolen data is checked.
• Use of data: Stolen data is used for online purchases, creating clones of cards or withdrawing funds through transfers.
• Selling data: Card data is sold on the darknet or specialized forums.

2. Evolution of carding​

Carding has come a long way, from simple data theft methods to complex organized crime networks:

a) Early stages (1990s)​

• The first cases of carding appeared with the rise of credit cards and e-commerce.
• Criminals used primitive methods such as intercepting data through skimming devices (devices installed on ATMs to read card data).

b) Development of technologies (2000s)​

• The spread of the Internet has given impetus to the development of carding.
• The first online forums and markets for selling stolen data appeared.
• Increase in the number of attacks using malware (Trojans, keyloggers).
• Massive leaks of company data have become an important source of information for carders.

c) Modern era (2010s – present)​

• Carding has become a highly organized criminal activity.
• Complex techniques are used, such as social engineering, phishing, exploitation of vulnerabilities in POS (Point of Sale) systems and mobile applications.
• The emergence of the darknet and cryptocurrencies has made anonymous transactions between carding participants much easier.
• Development of artificial intelligence and automated tools for testing stolen data.

3. Basic carding methods​

Here are the main methods that carders use:

a) Skimming​

• Installation of devices on ATMs or terminals for reading magnetic stripe data from cards.
• Video cameras or keypad interceptors for recording PIN codes.

b) Phishing​

• Creating fake websites or mailings with the purpose of obtaining card data from victims.
• For example, fake pages of banks or online stores.

c) Data stores​

• There are specialized stores on the darknet that sell stolen card data.
• Prices depend on the quality of the data (for example, the presence of a CVV code, the expiration date of the card).

d) Generation card​

• Using algorithms to generate valid card numbers.
• Cloning cards using stolen data.

e) Attacks on POS systems​

• Penetration into point-of-sale systems to steal customer card data.
• Example: the famous attack on Target in 2013, where data from over 40 million cards was stolen.

4. Carding and legislation​

Carding is a criminal offense in many countries. However, its fight faces a number of difficulties:

• Anonymity of participants through the darknet and cryptocurrencies.
• The international nature of crimes.
• Lack of awareness among users about the protection of their data.

5. How to protect yourself from carding?​

To protect against carding, it is important to follow these recommendations:

a) For users​

• Do not share card details with third parties.
• Use complex passwords and two-factor authentication.
• Be careful with suspicious links and sites.
• Check for SSL certificates on websites before entering card details.

b) For companies​

• Protect your systems from malware and vulnerabilities.
• Use encryption to store card data.
• Comply with security standards such as PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).
• Train your employees regularly on cybersecurity basics.

6. The end of the carding era?​

With advances in technology such as EMV chips, tokenization, and biometric authentication, carding is becoming less effective. However, criminals continue to adapt:

• Transition to targeted attacks on large companies.
• Use of new techniques such as social engineering and phishing.
• Exploitation of vulnerabilities in mobile applications and IoT devices.

So, while carding may be slowly losing popularity due to increased security measures, it remains a pressing issue in the world of cybercrime.

If you need more information on specific aspects of carding or ways to protect yourself, please write!