Short answer

There is no legal way to sell CVV or CVC codes. A CVV is a security code tied to one specific payment card, so selling it means selling access to another person's money. In the United States, buying, selling, or trading card data falls under 18 U.S.C. Section 1029, which covers trafficking in counterfeit access devices. Reddit moderators remove posts that ask where to sell CVV data, and accounts that post them get suspended. Law enforcement also monitors those threads.

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What the three-digit code actually is

The code on the back of a Visa or Mastercard is the CVV2 or CVC2. American Express prints a four-digit CID on the front. Discover uses the term CVC. Every one of them exists for the same job: to prove that the person typing the number holds the card in hand.

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That code is not stored on the magnetic stripe or the chip. It lives only on the card itself. That is why card networks treat it as sensitive authentication data. A merchant that keeps your CVV after a transaction is out of compliance with the PCI Data Security Standard.

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Why this question keeps showing up on Reddit

Most threads that ask about selling CVV codes fall into a few patterns:

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  • Recruitment bait. Someone posts a vague question, then a second account replies with an invite to a private chat or marketplace.
  • Advance-fee scams. The "buyer" asks for a deposit, a test card, or a fee before any deal happens. The money disappears.
  • Honeypots. Investigators run carding forums and chat groups to identify participants.
  • Genuine confusion. Some people search the phrase after hearing it online and have no idea what it involves.

A common thread runs through all of them. The person who answers the question is usually the one getting robbed.

Penalties under US law

  • Trafficking in counterfeit access devices carries up to 10 years in prison for a first offense under 18 U.S.C. Section 1029.
  • Aggravated identity theft adds a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence under 18 U.S.C. Section 1028A.
  • Wire fraud charges under 18 U.S.C. Section 1343 can add up to 20 years.
  • Civil liability lets card issuers and victims sue for losses, chargeback costs, and investigation fees.

How to protect your own card data

  1. Enter your CVV only on a page that shows a padlock and an https address in the browser bar.
  2. Turn on a virtual card number from your issuer for online subscriptions and one-off purchases.
  3. Enable instant transaction alerts by text or push notification through your bank app.
  4. Decline to save card details in browsers, shopping apps, and loyalty programs.
  5. Cover the back of the card when you hand it to a server or clerk, and never read the code out loud in public.
  6. Check your statement every week instead of waiting for the monthly cycle.

If your card number and code leaked

  1. Call the number on the back of your card and report unauthorized activity.
  2. Freeze the card in your banking app while the dispute is open.
  3. Ask for a new card number, expiration date, and CVV rather than a replacement of the same number.
  4. File a report with the FTC's identity theft service and keep the confirmation number.
  5. Submit a complaint to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center if a marketplace or seller contacted you.
  6. Review your credit reports for new accounts you did not open.

Reporting a seller or marketplace

Send the thread, username, and any chat screenshots to Reddit's report form, then to the card issuer's fraud department. File with the FTC and the FBI's complaint center. If the amount is large or a bank account was drained, contact your local police and ask for a report number you can give to your bank.