Stolen BA account details are in high demand on dark web
British Airways account logins are fetching a premium on the dark web following last year’s data breach.
Account details for BA and other big brands have flooded dark web marketplaces in recent months, according to a report released today by Virtual Private Network comparison service Top10VPN.com.
Its research found that certain listings had jumped considerably in price since last year, representing their increased value to fraudsters.
The price of BA online accounts, for example, has jumped by 375% to £32 each.
The report says the stolen data is providing scammers with a number of ways to commit identity theft.
In accessing BA accounts, fraudsters can siphon off loyalty points that can be used on other airlines making these log-ins even more valuable.
"Last year’s serious security breaches involving Facebook and British Airways customers led to vast quantities of personal data flooding these blackmarket sites," said Simon Migliano, head of research at Top10VPN.com.
"The high profile nature of these hacks has also created quite the appetite for these stolen account details, meaning that prices have notably jumped since last year too.
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"This is a highly – and understandably – worrying situation for customers who might have been caught in these hacks. Storing payment information across a whole range of online accounts – even social media – is now par for the course for the majority of consumers as it’s simply so convenient. The downside is that if a fraudster gains access to one account they then, essentially, have the keys to the kingdom."
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Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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