Your tax forms sell for $20 on the dark web

Your tax forms fetch $20 on the dark web, with Malwarebytes Labs noting a recent listing advertising 100 complete tax forms for $2,000, effectively pricing a fully documented stolen identity at $20. The piece describes Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) as criminals using stolen data to file fake returns and claim refunds, often before the legitimate taxpayer does.

It explains that fraudsters can buy mass datasets of stolen PII, including ready-to-use W-2 and 1040 forms, and that Initial Access Brokers auction off direct network access to CPAs and accounting firms. The research highlights a Russian-language underground market at the epicentre, and mentions a drop in price for older 2024 data while newer records command higher values.

The article also notes where forgery services like Fakelab operate for $20–$40 to duplicate tax documents, and cites a Dark Web hub named “Flava” that provides tutorials for cashout schemes. According to Malwarebytes Labs, these trends underscore the importance of limiting personal data exposure and filing taxes early to thwart impersonation.