Rescator Explained

Rescator is the name of a Ukrainian hacker specialising in the sale of credit card details. According to Russian cyber-security consultancy Group-IB, "Rescator" (Helkern and ikaikki) runs his own marketplace at rescator.cm and uploaded over 5 million card details onto the SWIPED carder marketplace.^[1]

Credit card details have been stolen from places like Minnesota and the United Kingdom,^[2] the website allows searches by zip code so that stolen card numbers can be cashed out more locally to their victim to avoid alerting banks.^[3] Unlike the now defunct Tor Carding Forums, the site is free to use, payments requiring direct Bitcoin payments to sellers without escrow features more common on darknet markets.^[4] Many of the stolen details from the Target,^[5] Home Depot and Sally Beauty^[6] data breaches ended up at the site.

In March 2014, the site was briefly defaced by a rival hacker.^[7]

Notes and References

1. News: Cook. James. This Ukrainian Hacker Is One Of The Biggest Stolen Credit Card Traders On The Planet. 31 March 2019. 17 October 2014. The Register. Business Insider.
2. News: White. Geoff. Thousands at risk from credit card fraud website. 2 August 2015. 6 November 2014.
3. News: Montemayor. Stephen. Out-of-state criminals bring cloned credit card schemes to Twin Cities. 2 August 2015. 2 August 2015.
4. News: KIELL. A Carder's First Experience. 2 August 2015. 11 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20150418111640/http://www.deepdotweb.com/2014/12/11/a-carders-first-experience/. 18 April 2015. dead.
5. News: Schwartz. Mathew J.. Banks Reacting Faster to Card Breaches. 2 August 2015. 5 September 2015.
6. News: Krebs. Brian. Deconstructing the 2014 Sally Beauty Breach. 2 August 2015. May 2015.
7. News: Underground Payment Card Store Rescator Hacked and Defaced. 2 August 2015.