150 Million IDs Allegedly Stolen in IDScan.net Breach, Including Pete Hegseth’s License

Alleged IDScan.net breach exposes 150 million driver's licenses

More than 150 million driver's licenses are allegedly being sold on the dark web after identity verification firm IDScan.net suffered an apparent data breach, according to a report from Protos.

The leaked IDs are being offered by a Russian identity theft service called Nexus. The service claims to have records including travel documents, medical cards, and other forms of identification.

Key numbers and details

• Over 150 million IDs allegedly stolen.
• US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's driver's license is reportedly among them, allegedly available for $100.
• The FBI is investigating the breach, as reported by KrebsOnSecurity.
• Nexus says it has been “continuously exfiltrating new data for over a year” and has added hundreds of thousands of records in recent days.
• The Nexus site is reportedly no longer available.

What the leaked data includes

According to cybersecurity analyst “vx-underground,” clients that may have leaked data include Shell, AMC Theaters, DraftKings, Dutchie, FedEx, Hertz, Chevrolet (General Motors), GameStop, Jack Henry, MRI (Checkpoint ID), Polaris, Simmons Bank, LendingUSA, Circa Resort & Casino, Planet 13, Rouses Market, US Coast Guard Academy, Caesars Entertainment, and Motorola.

Nexus reportedly claims the breach involves “a major identity verification company” with multiple Fortune 500 customers.

How one researcher confirmed his ID leaked

Privacy researcher Zach Edwards confirmed that his ID was leaked after he visited Planet13, which he described as “the largest cannabis dispensary in the world,” in Las Vegas. He said all signs point to “IDscan having a hellacious ongoing real-time breach of their data.”

What is confirmed

It is confirmed that a dark web service is offering a large number of IDs and claiming they come from IDScan.net. It is confirmed that cybersecurity researchers have shared lists of potential clients and that at least one researcher has confirmed his own ID was leaked. It is confirmed that the FBI is investigating, according to KrebsOnSecurity. However, the full scope of the breach and the exact number of IDs involved are still being verified.

What is still unclear

It is not confirmed that IDScan.net itself was breached, nor that the leaked data came from that company. The authenticity of the IDs offered by Nexus has not been fully verified. The number of actual individuals affected is unclear, as is the total amount of data involved beyond the alleged 150 million IDs.

Why this matters for consumers

Driver's licenses and other identity documents can be used for identity theft and fraud. The fact that a US official's ID is allegedly for sale highlights the potential sensitivity of such data. The listing of many well-known companies as potential clients means that a large number of people could be at risk if the breach is confirmed.

What happens next

The FBI is reportedly investigating the breach, according to KrebsOnSecurity. No other next steps have been announced in the source material.

Sources

• Protos