What Can Thieves Do With Your Stolen Credit Card? May 2026

Often, the person who steals your information isn't the one who actually uses it. Instead, they sell it in bulk on the dark web .

These "clones" can then be used at physical retail locations or ATMs, though the adoption of EMV chips has made this much more difficult than it used to be. 4. Taking Over Your Existing Accounts What Can Thieves Do With Your Stolen Credit Card?

They encode your digital information onto a blank card with a magnetic stripe. Often, the person who steals your information isn't

Known as " carding ," this is one of the most popular tactics because gift cards are virtually untraceable once purchased. What Can Thieves Do With Your Stolen Credit Card?

Even if your physical card is still in your wallet, thieves can use skimmed or "shimmed" data to create a counterfeit version.