: Cards are sold on marketplaces or the dark web at a discount (often 60–80% of face value) for cryptocurrency or cash.
Criminals use stolen credit card data to purchase gift cards through several specific methods: buying gift cards with stolen credit cards
: Some use gift cards to make in-app purchases within their own apps or donate to specific streamers, eventually receiving a clean payout from the platform. Impact and Statistics : Cards are sold on marketplaces or the
: Scammers make a purchase with a stolen credit card and then return the item, requesting the refund be placed on a gift card. This converts the stolen credit line into a legitimate, untraceable store credit. This converts the stolen credit line into a
Once a gift card is acquired with stolen funds, it is converted into "clean" money through:
: Fraudsters use stolen credentials to buy digital gift cards. They often use bots or "bulk-buy" tactics to obtain as many cards as possible before the stolen credit card is flagged and blocked.