SafetyDetectives’s research team visited several marketplaces on the dark web, representing over 50 identity brokers, identity thieves, and identity counterfeiters, and compiled the average cost of the necessary documents one would need to start a brand new life with a brand new identity.Īlthough paying with fiat currencies like the US dollar is an option, many of these dark web-based services require payment made with the flagship cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC). The dark web gives new identity seekers unparalleled access to counterfeit and stolen personal documents - things like passports, driving licenses, birth certificates, bank accounts, and even educational documents like bachelor’s and master’s degrees.Īll those things must be really expensive, right? Not necessarily. The common thread is that those willing to secure a new identity illegally via the dark web feel there’s no legal way forward. New identity seekers are typically criminals hiding from authorities, but with the current state of global affairs, many new identity seekers are political or economic refugees looking to flee violence or other existential threats in their native land.

But recently, the dark web has made it extremely easy for anyone wanting to start a new life to simply buy themselves a brand new identity. Just a few years ago, such a scenario would have been a far-fetched plotline reserved for the Netflix series “You”. The people you see on a daily basis - the barista who makes your coffee, the bus driver who takes your kids to school, and the neighbor who waves to you each morning - could all be using fake identities to hide an unsavory past. Stay Updated on the Latest Cybersecurity Trends.Your Identity May be at Risk of Being Stolen and Sold on the Dark Web.The Estimated Cost of a New Identity by Country.The Minimum Cost of a Brand New Identity.

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