How a Credit Card Scammer Makes Thousands in Cash a Day

Credit card fraud has been on the rise for about a decade. Losses topped $24 billion worldwide in 2016 alone, half of which affected cardholders in the US. With a virtually unlimited amount of money to be made scamming, some tech-savvy criminals have turned ripping off credit card numbers into a full-time gig.

VICE met up with a scammer for an inside look at the shady underground profession. He walked us through the process, showing us how he buys stolen accounts on the dark web, prints pilfered numbers on blank cards, and buys thousands of dollars worth of goods with stolen money. He also explained why he got into the game in the first place—and what it would take for him to get out.

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