IDScan breach exposes 153 million US and Canadian driver's licenses on dark web
Cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs discovered a dark web service called Nexus selling over 153 million scanned driver's licenses, medical cards and other ID documents from the US and Canada. Krebs traced the likely source to a breach at Louisiana-based verification firm IDScan, whose clients include Hertz, Target, FedEx and Motorola, and even found his own license used as a sample to advertise the stolen trove, alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's ID.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The breach shows how a single third-party verification vendor can expose identity documents across dozens of major companies, magnifying the damage of any one hack. With a Cabinet official's ID reportedly among the leaked files, the incident underscores that no one is immune once personal data flows through weakly secured verification pipelines, raising fresh scrutiny on how businesses vet the security of the ID-checking services they rely on.
- Over 153 million driver's license scans and related documents were put up for sale on a dark web service called Nexus.
- Louisiana firm IDScan, used by Hertz, Target, FedEx and others, is suspected as the breach's source, prompting an FBI investigation.
- Nexus has since gone offline, but experts warn the stolen data likely remains accessible to criminals elsewhere online.
Aura Identity Theft Protection — With millions of driver's license scans circulating on the dark web, ongoing monitoring is the practical response. Aura bundles dark web monitoring, credit alerts and identity theft support into one subscription so you learn quickly if your documents surface somewhere they shouldn't.
See Aura Identity Theft Protection on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: engadget.com — Lawrence Bonk, 2026-09-02
Published there as: “Digital scans of more than 153 million driver's licenses leaked to the dark web”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.