It’s supply and demand. With the constant data breaches, personal identity information can be obtained for a price. And it is available online:
“Internet fraudsters sell complete financial identities for just £80, according to an online safety group.
The details packaged and sold online include names, addresses, passport numbers and confidential financial data such as credit card numbers.”
link: UK identities sold for £80 online
That amount, using today’s currency conversion figures, is approximately a hundred and twenty dollars in U.S. funds. There have been sites that have offered this type of data at a lower price. These websites exist because there is a demand. Speculation among some security experts is that there will be an increase in identity theft crime as the economy continues to suffer. These identity merchants actually may benefit from the current economic woes. In fact, for these identity thieves, business may improve.
Catherine Forsythe