Short answer
There is no legal directory of CVV shops. A CVV shop is an online storefront that sells stolen credit card numbers and card verification values. Buying, selling, or using that data is a federal crime in the United States. No agency licenses these sites, and no consumer protection covers a buyer.
What a CVV shop sells
- Full card numbers with the card verification value
- Cardholder name, billing address, and ZIP code
- In some listings, Social Security numbers and bank logins
The data comes from skimming devices, phishing pages, malware on point-of-sale terminals, and corporate breaches.
Why most of these shops are scams
Law enforcement takedowns show that many carding sites are run by the same operators who collect payment and ship nothing. A buyer cannot file a chargeback or complain to a regulator without admitting to a crime. Exit scams and ripper forums appear in most federal cases. Carding forums also carry undercover accounts and informants.
Where Do People Buy CVV on the Darknet: A Buying Guide
Legal exposure
18 U.S.C. § 1029 covers access device fraud. A first offense carries up to 10 years in prison plus fines. Wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 and aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A can add separate counts. Sentences stack. State charges can follow the same conduct.
What happens to victims
Cardholders report unauthorized charges to the issuer. In the US, reports go to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. Banks absorb part of the loss and pass costs to merchants through chargeback fees.
If you are researching this topic
Public court records from FBI and DOJ cases list the operators and buyers prosecuted. Researchers who study carding rely on those filings, not on the marketplaces themselves. A seller cannot be verified, and a buyer has no legal protection.