● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportHigh impact1 negative
FBI Investigates Dark Web Service Selling 153M+ US and Canadian Driver's Licenses
Key points
- Dark web service "Nexus" offers over 153 million driver's license scans.
- Data includes US and Canadian licenses, IDs, and medical cards.
- FBI's New Orleans field office launched an official inquiry.
- Source of images appears to be a Louisiana-based identity verification company.
Dark Web Service Offers Stolen IDs
A new identity theft service named Nexus has launched on the dark web, advertising the sale of digital scans of over 153 million driver's licenses from individuals in the United States and Canada. The service also claims to possess more than 10 million identification cards, over three million travel documents, and at least 579,000 medical cards. The sheer volume of data suggests a significant compromise.
FBI Launches Investigation
The New Orleans field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has initiated an official inquiry into the source of these images. This investigation follows reports that the data is being sold on a Russian cybercrime forum, Exploit, and includes personal identification documents from a vast number of individuals.
Source Traced to Identity Verification Company
Based on interviews with individuals whose licenses are available for purchase, the images appear to have been siphoned from a widely-used identity verification company located in Louisiana. The operators of Nexus claim the images are from an active breach at a "major identity verification company" that serves multiple Fortune 500 clients, stating they have been exfiltrating data for over a year.
Scope of the Breach
A preliminary review of Nexus's offerings suggests the claim of 153 million records is accurate, with a search returning approximately 11.5 million pages of results. While the data includes documents from both Canada and the United States, the majority are American records. Canadian driver's licenses account for about 1.1 million results, with Ontario having the largest concentration at 473,673 records. The records also include unusual items like marijuana dispensary cards and government-issued Common Access Cards (CAC).
Implications for Identity Security
This incident highlights a critical vulnerability in the systems of identity verification companies, which are entrusted with sensitive personal data. The widespread availability of driver's license scans and other identification documents on the dark web significantly increases the risk of identity theft and fraud for millions of individuals. The ongoing exfiltration of data for over a year indicates a prolonged security lapse.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
A new dark web service, Nexus, is selling digital scans of over 153 million driver's licenses from individuals in the United States and Canada, prompting an official inquiry by the FBI's New Orleans field office. The images appear to originate from a widely-used identity verification company based in Louisiana, indicating a significant data breach impacting personal identification. This incident highlights a major vulnerability in identity verification processes and poses a substantial risk for identity theft for millions of individuals.