FBI investigates sale of 150 million North American IDs on dark web

The FBI is investigating a massive data breach involving the potential exposure of over 150 million North American driver’s licenses and identity documents. The stolen data, which includes scans of US and Canadian IDs, is reportedly being sold on a dark web service called Nexus via a Russian-language cybercrime forum.

Independent journalist Brian Krebs first identified the criminal site after discovering his own Virginia driver’s license being offered as a sample. Cyber threat researcher Zach Edwards noted that the breach could represent one of the largest leaks of US government identity documents ever recorded. The cache allegedly includes not only driver's licenses but also residency cards, medical cards, and international identity documents.

Experts suggest the breach may be an ongoing, real-time attack where threat actors intercept new credentials as they are submitted to an identity verification company. The scale of the theft poses significant national security risks, particularly as the data reportedly includes the identification of high-profile individuals, including an assistant director of the FBI.