Table of Contents

Credit Card Dump: Definition, Examples, Protecting Against

By

Jason Fernando

Updated January 25, 2026

Reviewed by Pamela Rodriguez

Fact checked by

Ryan Eichler

Someone inserting a credit card in an ATM — Atit Phetmuangtong / EyeEm / Getty Images

Definition

A credit card dump refers to stolen credit card data that is circulated for fraudulent use.

Key Takeaways

A credit card dump is when a criminal steals credit card information from a customer and makes it available to potential buyers.
Credit card dumps often originate from data breaches or other security failures in payment systems.
In recent years, criminals have undertaken increasingly large-scale credit card dump attacks, sometimes with millions of victims.

What Is a Credit Card Dump?

A credit card dump occurs when a criminal steals a credit card number. This type of crime has existed for decades, but it has seen wider public awareness in recent years due to the rising prevalence of credit card forgeries, identity theft, and other types of cybercrime.

Credit Card Data Exposure Risks

Credit card data can be exposed if there are security gaps in payment systems, stores, or online networks. A breach might affect just one account or put information from many cards at risk.

In bigger incidents, when companies that handle card payments have their systems compromised, thousands or even millions of customer records can be exposed. Often, people only find out after they see unauthorized charges on their accounts.

Personal information numbers (PINs) and chip-enabled cards help make unauthorized use harder, but no system is completely safe. Stolen card data can still be used for fraud or shared among criminals.

Protecting Against Credit Card Dumps

Ultimately, consumers have limited means to protect themselves against this type of cybercrime. After all, even the most cautious individuals might fall victim to credit card theft if hackers compromise the systems at the stores where they shop.

Still, individuals can take steps to reduce these risks. They can refrain from sharing their credit card information with others. They should keep their credit cards close at hand when in public places. They can check for any suspicious objects on or around automated teller machines (ATMs), gas pumps, and point of sale (POS) machines. And they can regularly review their credit card statements for any unfamiliar transactions.

Fast Fact

Data dumps don't only happen in America. In May 2019, for example, the popular Australian graphic design website, Canva, was breached by hackers, with nearly 140 million user accounts compromised. In addition to personal information such as names, usernames, and email addresses, the hackers also managed to access users’ credit card information.

Examples of Credit Card Dumps

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of examples where hackers managed to compromise vast amounts of credit card data from unsuspecting customers. Here are just a few examples:

Capital One, the fifth-largest credit card issuer in the United States, revealed in July 2019 that a hacker accessed the personal information of around 106 million customers and applicants in the U.S. and Canada. The information that was accessed included highly personal details on consumers and small businesses, including names, Social Security numbers, income, and dates of birth as of the time they applied for one of several credit card products from 2005 through early 2019. To date, the Capital One hack is the second-largest such data dump of all time.

Another notable incident occurred in October 2013, when Adobe (ADBE) lost nearly 3 million customer credit card records in a large-scale attack by hackers. The breach was part of a larger effort in which data from over 150 million users was also stolen. The company ultimately reached a roughly $1 million settlement with its customers over the incident.

What Was the Biggest Credit Card Dump to Date?

In terms of the number of customers exposed, the largest credit card dump so far was a hack on credit bureau Equifax in September of 2017, which exposed the personal data of more than 147 million customers, including credit card details.

What Was the First Credit Card Dump?

Card theft, scams, and black markets for personal IDs have been around since the advent of credit cards in the 1960s and '70s. The first large-scale credit card dump was in 1984, when the New York Times reported that the password for a leading credit union, TRW, was stolen from a Sears store on the West Coast. That password unlocked the credit histories and personal information of many Sears customers that would subsequently be used to obtain their credit card numbers.

How Can I Avoid Being a Victim of a Credit Card Dump?

In many cases, there's not much you can do. However, there is one new innovation that may help: virtual credit card numbers. Many banks and card companies today allow you to generate a temporary credit card number online that can be used for online shopping. This number, however, would not be able to be used again for subsequent purchases.

The Bottom Line

Unfortunately, since credit card dumps involve security breaches of stores that you may shop at, having your card number(s) stolen may be out of your hands. There is one thing you can do, however: If you're aware of a breach, contact your credit card issuer immediately to put a freeze on your account and replace your card.

Article Sources

Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.

Codeburst.io "Decrypting Canva's Security Breach."
CNN. "A hacker gained access to 100 million Capital One credit cards."
CSO. “The 15 Biggest Data Breaches of the 21st Century.”
Federal Trade Commission. "Equifax Data Breach Settlement."
New York Times. "CREDIT FILE PASSWORD IS STOLEN."

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