FBI Investigates Data Breach Exposing Millions of Driver's Licenses
2 sources across 2 countries · United Kingdom · United States
Who reported this
- Reuters
- Ars Technica
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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The FBI is investigating a report of a data breach that has exposed millions of driver's licenses across the United States and Canada. According to an exposé by KrebsOnSecurity, a new identity theft service called Nexus has made more than 153 million licenses available for sale. The leaked data reportedly includes high resolution scans of both the front and back of IDs, as well as images captured in infrared and ultraviolet spectrums, which may be used to create counterfeit IDs that pass hologram tests.
Beyond driver's licenses, Nexus offered other forms of identification for sale, including medical cards, travel cards, residence cards, and Common Access Cards. Some records listed the source as CDL, which may refer to commercial driver's licenses, while others were marked as CAC. One victim reported that their information was compromised after visiting a Planet13 marijuana dispensary in Las Vegas. Another account describes a license becoming available on the dark web within hours of being scanned at a well known car rental company.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- Outlets with a center lean focused on the scale of the breach and the specific technical details of how the stolen IDs were being sold.
Sources
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