Find out if your personal information is on the dark web.
We scan the marketplaces, hacker forums, breach databases, and paste sites where stolen personal data ends up. If yours is there, we tell you immediately, so you can change passwords, freeze credit, and lock down your accounts before the damage compounds.
Start Your Free Dark Web ScanWhat “the dark web” actually is, in plain terms
The dark web is a layer of the internet that requires special software (usually Tor) to access. It has legitimate uses, like privacy-focused journalism and whistleblowing, but it is also where criminals buy and sell stolen personal data.
After almost every major data breach (Equifax, Yahoo, T-Mobile, MOVEit, Change Healthcare, LinkedIn, and dozens of smaller ones), the stolen records eventually surface in dark web marketplaces and hacker forums. From there, criminals buy them for anywhere from a few dollars to a few thousand and use them to commit fraud.
A dark web scan checks whether your specific information has appeared in any of these places. If we find your data, you find out right away while you still have time to act. Most identity theft victims do not discover the problem until 6 to 12 months after their data is first exposed. By then, the damage is significant. Early warning is the whole point of dark web scanning.
How your data ends up there
The pipeline from breach to fraud, broken down into the five stages most people never see.
Breach
A company holding your data is compromised. Phishing, software vulnerabilities, or careless contractors are the most common entry points.
Packaging
Attackers organize the stolen records into “dumps” or full identity packages called “fullz,” which are easier to sell.
Marketplace listing
Data appears on dark web marketplaces, hacker forums, and increasingly on Telegram channels and Discord servers.
Fraud
Buyers use the data for credit card fraud, account takeovers, tax fraud, medical identity theft, and synthetic identity creation.
Resale
The same records get resold, recombined, and recirculated for years. Your data does not get “used up.” It can hurt you long after the original breach.
The longer your data sits in this pipeline undetected, the more time criminals have to use it. Detection time, not the breach itself, is what determines how bad identity theft gets.
What we scan for
Every type of personal record that gets bought and sold in dark web marketplaces.
Account credentials
- Email addresses
- Passwords (hashed and plain)
- Usernames across platforms
- Security question answers
- Two-factor backup codes
Financial data
- Credit and debit card numbers
- Bank account and routing numbers
- Online banking credentials
- PayPal and Venmo logins
- Cryptocurrency exchange logins
Government identifiers
- Social Security numbers
- Driver’s license numbers
- Passport numbers
- Tax identification numbers
- Voter registration data
Personal records
- Full name and date of birth
- Home address history
- Phone numbers
- Family members and associates
- Mother’s maiden name
Medical and insurance
- Health insurance ID numbers
- Medical record numbers
- Prescription history
- Dental insurance information
- Medicare and Medicaid numbers
Professional and identity
- Employer and job title
- Professional license numbers
- Loyalty and rewards accounts
- Background check records
- Biometric data (when exposed)
Where we look
“Dark web” gets used loosely. We monitor across multiple categories, because stolen data appears in different places depending on how it was obtained.
Dark web marketplaces
Tor-accessible sites that function as e-commerce platforms for stolen data. Marketplaces come and go (law enforcement takes them down, new ones replace them), so coverage requires ongoing updates.
Hacker forums
Where breach data first gets shared, often for free, before commercial sale. These forums are also where credential stuffing lists and combo lists circulate.
Telegram channels and Discord servers
A growing share of breach activity has moved here over the past few years. Faster distribution, less moderation, and easier access for buyers.
Paste sites
Pastebin, anonfiles, and similar services. Attackers use these as quick public dumps, especially for credential lists from smaller breaches.
Breach compilation databases
Aggregated indexes of every known public breach. We cross-check your information against these in addition to active monitoring.
Open web sources
Some leaked data ends up on the regular web, on file-sharing sites, GitHub repos, or misconfigured cloud storage. We watch these too.
What your data is worth on the dark web
These are rough current market rates based on dark web price index reports. The cheaper a record gets, the more attackers can afford to buy in bulk.
Basic identity package
$1 to $8- Full name and address
- Date of birth
- Phone number
- Email address
- Social Security number
Financial credentials
$30 to $200- Credit card with CVV
- Online banking logins
- PayPal account access
- Credit report access
- Loyalty account takeovers
Full identity (“fullz”)
$1,000+- Passport scans or numbers
- Driver’s license images
- Medical records
- Employment history
- Complete digital footprint
A single dollar buys enough information to attempt fraud against you. That is the actual problem. Attackers do not need to spend much to make money on you.
What criminals do with your data
These are the specific fraud types that follow a dark web leak. They are not rare.
Credit card fraud
The fastest move. Cards get tested with small charges, then drained or used to buy gift cards that get resold. Often hits within hours of purchase.
Account takeovers
Leaked passwords get tested across hundreds of sites (credential stuffing). One reused password compromises every account using it.
SIM-swap fraud
With your name, address, and date of birth, attackers convince carriers to port your phone number to their SIM, then intercept 2FA codes.
Tax refund fraud
With your Social Security number, criminals file fraudulent returns and collect your refund before you file. Hard to detect until the IRS rejects your real filing.
Medical identity theft
Stolen insurance information gets used for medical services or prescription fraud. Your medical records get contaminated with someone else’s history.
Synthetic identity creation
Pieces of your real identity get combined with fake details to create a new “person” used to open accounts, get loans, and commit fraud over years.
Targeted phishing
Knowing your employer, family members, and bank means phishing attempts can be specific enough to fool careful people. Generic spam gets ignored. Targeted spear-phishing works.
Employment fraud
Stolen Social Security numbers get used for off-the-books employment, affecting your wage and tax records for years.
Loan and credit applications
Auto loans, personal loans, store credit, and BNPL accounts opened in your name. You find out when collections call.
How the scan actually works
Three phases. The first one takes you about two minutes. The rest happen continuously.
1. You give us what to watch
Email addresses you use, phone numbers, and any other identifiers you want monitored. The more identifiers, the more comprehensive the scan.
2. We scan against multiple sources
We check your identifiers against historical breach databases (covering billions of records) and against active monitoring of current dark web venues.
3. We alert you to anything we find
If your data turns up, you get notified immediately with details on which breach or marketplace, what data was exposed, and what to do next.
What to do if we find your data
You should not have to figure this out alone. Here is the standard playbook our team walks you through.
Change passwords immediately
Start with email and any account using the same password. Use a password manager to generate unique passwords for every site going forward.
Turn on two-factor authentication
App-based 2FA (Google Authenticator, Authy) is significantly safer than SMS. Enable it on every account that supports it, starting with email and financial accounts.
Freeze your credit
Free to do at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). Prevents new accounts being opened in your name. Lift the freeze temporarily when you need to apply for credit.
Watch your accounts
Check bank, credit card, and brokerage statements weekly for unusual activity. Set up transaction alerts for everything above a small threshold.
File an FTC identity theft report
If you confirm actual fraud (not just exposed data), file at IdentityTheft.gov. This generates a recovery plan and an Identity Theft Report that helps you dispute fraudulent accounts.
Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN
Free PIN from the IRS that must be used to file your tax return, blocking refund fraud. Sign up at irs.gov/ippin.
How this compares to free tools
Have I Been Pwned is a great free service. Here is what it does and where ours does more.
Have I Been Pwned (free)
- Checks email addresses and phone numbers against known public breaches
- Lets you sign up for notifications on future public breaches
- Covers breaches that have been publicly disclosed
- Does not monitor dark web marketplaces or private forums
- Does not scan for credit card numbers, SSNs, or other PII
- No alerts on credential-stuffing list inclusions
- No remediation guidance or recovery support
ReputationPrivacy Dark Web Scan
- Includes everything HIBP covers, plus private sources
- Monitors dark web marketplaces and hacker forums in real time
- Watches Telegram and Discord channels used for breach distribution
- Scans for SSNs, credit cards, bank accounts, and medical IDs (not just emails)
- Detects credential-stuffing list appearances, not just breaches
- Provides specific remediation steps when your data is found
- Bundled with our broader privacy and reputation services
If you only use HIBP, you are catching a portion of what is out there. Use it. Also use this. They cover different layers.
Breach records in monitoring index
What your basic identity sells for
Average detection time for ID theft
Continuous dark web monitoring
Questions people ask about dark web scanning
Honest answers. If yours is not covered, email us.
Will you actually find my information?
For most adults in the US, yes, almost certainly. There have been so many large breaches over the past decade (Equifax, Yahoo, LinkedIn, T-Mobile, Marriott, MOVEit, and many more) that a typical American’s email address and one or more passwords are already in public breach databases.
What our scan reveals is which specific breaches you appear in, what data was exposed in each, and whether more sensitive information (SSN, financial credentials, full identity profiles) is on dark web marketplaces. That changes what you should do about it.
Can you remove my data from the dark web once it is there?
No, and you should be skeptical of any service that claims they can. Once stolen data is on the dark web, it cannot be recalled. It gets copied, resold, and recirculated indefinitely.
What you can do is reduce the damage. Change exposed passwords, freeze your credit, enable two-factor authentication, and watch your accounts. Dark web scanning tells you when to do these things, and our broader privacy services reduce how much new data is available to be stolen in the first place.
Is dark web scanning legal?
Yes. We monitor what is publicly available on the dark web in the same way researchers, law enforcement, and security companies do. We do not buy stolen data, transact with criminals, or access systems we are not permitted to access. We watch and report.
How is this different from credit monitoring?
Credit monitoring tells you when something happens to your credit report (a new account opened, a hard inquiry, a balance change). It is reactive. By the time it alerts you, the fraud has already happened.
Dark web scanning is upstream. It tells you that your data is exposed before fraud occurs, so you can prevent it. Use both together for full coverage: dark web scanning catches the leak, credit monitoring catches what slips through.
How often do you scan?
Continuously. New breaches are indexed within hours of becoming visible to us. You do not have to remember to log in and check. If your data appears, you get notified immediately.
What information do I have to give you?
The identifiers you want monitored. Email addresses, phone numbers, and the last four digits of your Social Security number (we do not need the full SSN to monitor for it on the dark web). The more identifiers you provide, the broader the coverage.
All identifiers are stored encrypted and used only for monitoring. We do not sell, share, or use them for anything else.
Is the dark web scan really free?
Yes. The initial scan is free and shows you what is already exposed. Ongoing continuous monitoring is part of our paid privacy plans. No payment information is required for the initial scan.
I have not done anything risky online. Why would my data be on the dark web?
It almost certainly is not because of anything you did. Most data on the dark web comes from breaches of companies you trusted with your information: banks, employers, retailers, healthcare providers, government agencies. You did nothing wrong. Companies that held your data were compromised, and the data went where stolen data goes.
What if I find out I am already a victim of identity theft?
File a report at IdentityTheft.gov immediately. This generates a recovery plan and gives you legal documentation that helps you dispute fraudulent accounts. Then freeze your credit at all three bureaus and contact any institutions where you have been impersonated. We help paid members work through this process.
See what is already out there about you
The dark web scan is free and takes about two minutes. You will know what has been exposed, where it is, and what to do about it.
Start Your Free Dark Web Scan