Our research shows that the majority of stolen cards come bundled with at least some private information, such as an address, phone number, or email address. Because it is impractical to obtain personal details through brute force methods, we can conclude that the associated records were obtained through other means — such as sophisticated hacks or data breaches.

Based on their findings, NordVPN researchers have calculated the risks posed by credit card theft and related cyberattacks to residents in 98 countries. Malta, Australia, and New Zealand came at the very top of the risk index, with the US closely following in 5th place.

On the other end of the spectrum, Russia had the lowest risk score, and China was 3rd from last. These findings seem to confirm prevailing hypotheses regarding the location of large-scale hacking operations and the purposeful targeting of Anglo-European countries.