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Time Business News
05-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Carding Forums Explained
In today's digital age, cybercrime has evolved into a sophisticated industry, with hidden online communities facilitating illicit activity across the globe. Among the most notorious elements of this ecosystem are carding forums—underground platforms where cybercriminals exchange stolen credit card information, hacking tools, and fraudulent services. While often concealed from the public eye, understanding what carding forums are and how they operate is crucial for cybersecurity professionals, financial institutions, and everyday internet users. Carding forums are online discussion platforms—typically hosted on the dark web or secured networks—where users trade, sell, and share information related to credit card fraud, commonly known as carding . The term 'carding' refers to the unauthorised use of credit or debit card data for fraudulent transactions, identity theft, or the purchase of goods and services. These forums are structured similarly to traditional online communities, often featuring: Discussion threads on topics like carding methods, cash-out strategies, and bank drops. Marketplaces for stolen credit card data, CVVs, fullz (full personal identity information), and login credentials. Tutorials and guides aimed at teaching users how to commit fraud. Review systems for sellers and service providers, similar to e-commerce sites. Access to carding forums is usually restricted, requiring invitations, registration fees, or proof of prior illicit activity to join. Carding forums operate like black markets. Members use aliases to hide their real identities and communicate using encrypted messages or private servers. Transactions within these forums typically involve cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Monero to maintain anonymity. Some common services and products offered on carding forums include: Stolen Credit Card Information : Often sold in batches with details like card number, expiration date, CVV, and billing address. : Often sold in batches with details like card number, expiration date, CVV, and billing address. Fake IDs and Passports : Useful for identity theft or opening fraudulent accounts. : Useful for identity theft or opening fraudulent accounts. Bank Drops and Mule Accounts : Used to receive and launder stolen funds. : Used to receive and launder stolen funds. Carding Tools : Including BIN checkers, VPNs, SOCKS proxies, and credit card generators. : Including BIN checkers, VPNs, SOCKS proxies, and credit card generators. Tutorials and Support: Step-by-step guides for beginners, along with forums for troubleshooting carding attempts. The sophistication of these communities can range from amateur-level scams to advanced criminal networks with connections to organised crime. Many carding forums exist on the dark web, a portion of the internet that is not indexed by standard search engines and can only be accessed through tools like Tor (The Onion Router). The anonymity provided by the dark web makes it an attractive hub for illegal activities, including carding, drug sales, weapons trafficking, and more. However, not all carding forums are exclusive to the dark web. Some exist on the open internet (also called the clearnet) but use secure login systems and other obfuscation techniques to avoid detection. These are often short-lived as law enforcement agencies actively work to shut them down. Participating in carding forums is illegal in nearly every jurisdiction. Activities such as purchasing stolen data, using it for unauthorized transactions, or even accessing these forums can result in severe criminal charges, including: Fraud Identity Theft Money Laundering Conspiracy to Commit a Crime Governments around the world have intensified efforts to dismantle carding networks. Law enforcement agencies like the FBI, Europol, and INTERPOL regularly conduct international operations that lead to forum shutdowns and the arrest of key figures in cybercrime rings. For example, infamous forums like CarderPlanet, DarkMarket, and Joker's Stash were eventually taken down after years of investigations and coordinated global efforts. While the existence of carding forums may seem distant to the average internet user, the effects of their operations are widespread. Millions of people fall victim to credit card fraud every year, often as a result of data sold on these platforms. Here are some tips to protect yourself: Monitor your accounts regularly for unauthorised transactions. for unauthorised transactions. Use strong, unique passwords for financial services and enable two-factor authentication. for financial services and enable two-factor authentication. Avoid suspicious websites or apps that request payment information. that request payment information. Use credit instead of debit cards when possible for better fraud protection. when possible for better fraud protection. Report any suspicious activity to your bank or card issuer immediately. Businesses should invest in cybersecurity measures like intrusion detection systems, encryption, and employee training to minimise the risk of data breaches. Carding forums represent a dangerous and growing threat within the cybercrime landscape. While these hidden communities thrive on anonymity and technical knowledge, law enforcement and cybersecurity experts are constantly working to expose and dismantle their networks. Awareness and proactive protection are the best defences against credit card fraud. By understanding how carding forums operate, individuals and organisations can better safeguard themselves in an increasingly connected and vulnerable digital world. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Indian Express
07-05-2025
- Indian Express
‘We will blast your stadium': GCA recieves bomb threat; Narendra Modi stadium searched, nothing found
The Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) on Wednesday received a bomb threat through an email on their official ID that read: 'We will blast your stadium.' This came hours after the Indian armed forces carried out an air strike on terrorist camps in Pakistan, in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives. The Chandkheda police, along with the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), as well as the Dog Squad of Ahmedabad City Police, conducted a thorough inspection of the entire premises. Teams searched the stadium, dressing rooms, seating areas, galleries, VIP boxes, media centre and outer promenades, but did not find any explosive. The police are trying to find out who had sent the anonymous email. Zone-2 DCP Bharatkumar Rathod said that The Onion Router (TOR) browser and a Virtual Private Network (VPN) had been used to send the email. Thus, he said, it primarily appeared that the mail had been sent from Germany or Romania. DCP Rathod added that this could, however, be a hoax and that an investigation was underway.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Laurel County paramedic arrested, facing child pornography charges
A Laurel County paramedic was arrested last Wednesday, March 12, for his use of a dark web child sexual abuse material network. The affidavit pertaining to Bradley Callahan, 37, of London, states that the Ambulance Inc. of Laurel County paramedic had been a member of the 'target website' since about 2023 — having made at least 29 posts since September that year. He now faces charges for distributing and possessing child pornography. FBI Special Agent Kassandra L. McKenzie wrote the affidavit, which asserts that Callahan's ability to find the target website alone strongly indicated that he knowingly accessed the website with 'intent to view and/or receive child pornography,' as only users who have installed the appropriate Tor (The Onion Router) software on their computer can access the website. Furthermore, users have to find the 56-character web address of the website in order to access it, as hidden service websites are not indexed by search engines 'anywhere near the same degree as websites that operate on open internet.' 'I believe that it is extremely unlikely that anyone who visited its URL understood its purpose and content, and that it is extremely unlikely that any user could simply stumble upon the target website, much less register a user account, without understanding its purpose and content,' McKenzie wrote. The affidavit references several posts allegedly made by Callahan, the first of which was a post made in September 2023 that included five links — all of which contained graphic child pornography. It also states that Callahan 'commented favorably' on a link to a child pornography file around that time. Callahan is alleged to have made similar posts in February and May of 2024. Following an attempted login on June 19, 2024, the FBI traced the attempt to a specific IP address. Charter Spectrum then confirmed Callahan was using that IP at the time and provided his information, including his address where he solely resides. Although Callahan lives alone, the affidavit states that he has regular access to children through his job, as well as his girlfriend who has kids. Upon his arrest, Callahan reportedly admitted to accessing the aforementioned website and trading child pornography. At the time, Callahan informed the FBI that he had accessed child pornography 'approximately two days ago.' An FBI search team would go on to locate a laptop at Callahan's residence which they confirmed contained child pornography. A full forensic extraction of Callahan's laptop will be performed at a later date. During his initial appearance in U.S. District Court Friday, Callahan waived his right to a preliminary hearing, was appointed counsel and released from Laurel County Correctional Center.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
Tulare County District Attorney's Office hires first electronic detection dog
The Tulare County District Attorney's Office has added a new member to its ranks, Tor, a 2-year-old black Labrador retriever. On Feb. 18, Tor was introduced to the Tulare County Board of Supervisors, which after a few questions and a brief photo session, unanimously approved the DA's office request to accept him as a donation from the U.S. Secret Service. 'The inclusion of Tor and his skillset continues our focus on the prosecution of digital evidence, white-collar crime, and crimes against children' District Attorney Tim Ward stated in a press release. 'We are honored to have him in our ranks and look forward to his role in the justice process.' The dog, valued at $20,000, was an inaugural graduate of the National Computer Forensics Institute, trained at a cost of about $30,000. He will serve as the office's Bureau of Investigations' first electronic detection canine. 'He can detect an odor of a chemical component called TPPO, triphenylphosphine oxide, which is used in the manufacturing of electronics to prevent overheating,' Chief Investigator Lindy Gligorijevic said. 'This is in all of our electronics, our smartphones, hard drives, thumb drives, cameras, SD cards. It's in everything. 'He's going to be a fantastic tool, because people hide their electronics,' she said. 'When we're going to do a search warrant, they hide them. What Tor will do on a search warrant is come in and be able to detect if there are electronics hidden somewhere where we can't see them with the naked eye.' Tor will be available to all law enforcement in the county to help on their search warrants, according to Gligorijevic. 'Also, if he's available, we could probably help out other counties that may not have this kind of dog available to them,' she said. 'Right now, we're just focusing on Tulare County.' Tor has been described as 'a dual-purpose canine.' 'He's been trained in comfort duties as well, meaning that if we are interviewing somebody where we feel the dog would be beneficial in the room to help relieve a victim's anxiety, he could be used for that purpose,' Gligorijevic said. 'For instance, we just recently had a case where we had to interview multiple victims of a sexual assault, and it was very difficult for them to speak with us.' Tor is expected to be especially helpful when interviewing children, she added. '(But) that's not his primary duty,' she said. 'His primary duty is the sniffing part.' The DA's dog Fortune, who passed away last November, was strictly a comfort dog. The office's Victim Services Division is currently working to find a successor to Fortune. 'He was trained to sit with children when they were testifying,' Gligorijevic said. 'He would sit in the courtroom in the well of the witness box, so the child would have that dog there to give them comfort. 'This dog does not do that,' she said about Tor. 'He's not trained to be in a courtroom for those purposes.' Tor, whose name is an acronym for 'The Onion Router,' a web browser that is often used to access the dark web, could serve the office into the early 2030s. 'The average working life of a service dog is around eight years, and most service dogs retire at 10 years of age,' Gligorijevic said. 'It's a tough life for service dogs, because they're working dogs.' The U.S. Secret Service gave Tor to the DA's office as the result of a competitive process, according to Gligorijevic. 'This is a program that the Secret Service developed, and they were looking to place dogs with handlers who had extensive experience in digital forensic work, which my investigator Anthony Benitez does,' she said. 'He's had extensive training in forensic computer investigations and so he qualified for this dog.' Benitez spent weeks working with Tor in the first-ever Electronic Detection Dog training at the National Computer Forensics Institute in Hoover, Alabama. 'Participating in the (Electronic Detection Dog) training isn't just about enhancing our office's capabilities,' Benitez said in the release. 'It's about ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. The knowledge and skills gained working with Tor will be invaluable in our mission to protect and serve.' This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare County DA hires first electronic detection dog
