You know it's expensive to be you, because you're the one paying your bills every month. But on the dark web, it doesn't cost as much as you'd think to pretend to be you.
Reviews.org put together data from the FBI and Top 10 VPN to affix a dollar amount to each part of your digital identity. And despite how much identity theft can cost you, the information that you hold dear can be gotten on the cheap.
Your bank account information costs about $259.56 to obtain. Even if you throw in your credit card, debit card, PayPal, and services such as Western Union, the bill for all that comes to $636.90.
Proof of identity, which includes your driver's license and passport info, is even less costly, at about $62.59. Considering how much damage can be done with it, that's a bit of reverse sticker shock.
You might be even more surprised when you find out what else is up for sale—including your Postmates account ($10.47), Fortnite login ($11.33), and dating profiles ($11.63).
Considering how much you have to lose, it's imperative that you take steps to protect your data. Use a password manager for all your logins, don't use public Wi-Fi, browse sites via VPN, and secure your home computer with a security suite.