FBI Probes Possible Breach of 153 Million Driver’s Licenses
FBI investigates possible breach exposing up to 170M North American driver's licenses, data sold on Exploit forum via 'Nexus' service, linked to IDScan.net.
The FBI is investigating a potentially massive breach of identity data affecting as many as 170 million North Americans, first reported by Krebs. The 'Nexus' service on the Exploit cybercrime forum claimed to hold over 153 million US and Canadian driver's licenses plus ID cards, travel documents, and medical cards, sourced from an active breach at a major identity verification company. Krebs linked the trove to New Orleans-based IDScan.net, which is investigating. The service went dark shortly after publication; experts warn stolen license data (DOB, address, ID numbers) can't be changed and could enable lifelong identity fraud.
Dark Web Service Nexus Sells 153M+ Driver's Licenses
Dark web service Nexus offered 153M+ US and Canadian driver's license scans, traced to suspected IDScan.net breach; the FBI opened an investigation.
A dark web identity theft service called Nexus began offering searchable access to more than 153 million scanned US and Canadian driver's licenses, plus 10M+ ID cards, 3M+ travel documents, and 579,000+ medical cards. KrebsOnSecurity traced the records to New Orleans identity verification firm IDScan.net, whose clients include Hertz, Target, FedEx, Motorola Solutions, Caesars Entertainment, Jack Henry, and Planet13 dispensaries. The FBI's New Orleans field office opened a formal investigation, and Nexus went offline soon after the story broke. Operators claim exfiltration has been ongoing for over a year, with records growing by roughly 400,000 per day.
IDScan Confirms Data Breach Following 153 Million Driver’s Licenses Leaked on the Dark Web
IDScan.net confirms a breach after a marketplace advertised over 153 million US and Canadian driver's licenses, possibly exfiltrated continuously for over a year.
The Louisiana identity-verification firm detected unauthorized access on or around September 1, 2026, after the 'Nexus' identity theft service on the Exploit forum began advertising 170M+ people's records, including 153M+ driver's licenses, 10M+ ID cards, 3M+ travel documents, and 579,000 medical cards. Canadian records exceed 1.1 million, and the trove includes commercial licenses, Common Access Cards, and dispensary IDs, with a record for US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly included. Nexus operators claim continuous exfiltration for over a year, with the license count growing by nearly 400,000 in 24 hours, suggesting the intrusion may be active. The FBI's New Orleans field office has opened a formal inquiry, and IDScan.net is offering free credit monitoring.
FBI investigates breach of 153 million driving license records at IDscan.net
Scans of 153 million driver's licenses, traced to IDscan.net and including Pete Hegseth and Brian Krebs, were offered for sale on the dark web.
Digital scans of 153 million driver's licenses appeared for sale by a user on the Russian cybercrime forum Exploit, alongside over 10 million ID cards, 3 million travel documents, and 579,000 medical cards sold through a site called Nexus. KrebsOnSecurity traced the leak to identity verification provider IDscan.net, whose customers include car rental company Hertz, and victims reportedly include US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The FBI has opened an official inquiry into the source of the images, and IDscan.net has not issued an official statement.