CREDIT-CARD numbers stolen from TK Maxx, the retailer, have been offered for sale on websites used by organised crime, it was alleged this weekend, writes Paul Durman.

Rob Cotton, chief executive of NCC Group, an information-security specialist, said: “A lot of TK Maxx card records have been sold on these sites.”

He named four sites that act as “an eBay for hackers”, allowing criminals to buy and sell stolen card details.

The four are: cardersmarket.com, cardingworld.cc, forum. scandinaviancarding.com and darkmarket.ws.

Cotton said the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other authorities, were constantly trying to shut down such sites, which are often hosted in legally “difficult” countries such as Russia, China or Indonesia.

TJX, the American owner of TK Maxx, announced on Thursday that an extended security breach over many months had allowed hackers to steal 45.7m credit-card numbers at the UK clothing stores in 2003 and 2004. It is believed to be the largest theft of its kind.

Cotton said that similar thefts often went undisclosed. “Security is regularly breached,” he said, “and organised crime is behind it.”

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