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North American driver's license data breach

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-09 05:23 UTC → 2026-09-11 16:36 UTC · added removed

A massive data breach involving a dark web marketplace known as Nexus has exposed approximately 170 million identity records. The leaked trove includes over 153 million driver’s licenses from the United States and Canada, 10 million other forms of identification, 3 million travel documents, and at least 579,000 medical cards. Cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs confirmed the authenticity of the data after criminals provided a copy of his own driver’s license as proof. The breach also includes sensitive identification for high-profile figures, such as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and an assistant director of the FBI. Investigators have traced the potential source of the leak to IDScan.net, IDScan, a Louisiana-based identity verification technology company used by services such as Hertz. Hertz, has since confirmed the breach. The company stated the incident went undetected for roughly one year and affects over 153 million driver’s licenses, including approximately 1.1 million from Canada. IDScan serves various sectors, including hospitality, car rentals, and cannabis dispensaries, with a client list including Target and Caesars Entertainment. The FBI’s New Orleans field office is currently investigating the matter. IDScan has indicated it is working with external experts and will provide credit monitoring and identity theft protection services to those affected. Experts warn that this breach is significantly more dangerous than a standard password leak. Because the stolen data includes high-resolution infrared and ultraviolet scans used to authenticate physical documents, criminals may possess the technical blueprints required to create highly convincing fraudulent IDs. This poses a long-term threat to identity verification systems used by banks, cryptocurrency exchanges, and car rental agencies. Following reports of its activities, the Nexus website disappeared, displaying a message stating the service was no longer available.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-11 16:36 UTC North American driver's license data breach
  2. 2026-09-09 05:23 UTC North American driver's license data breach
  3. 2026-09-06 10:27 UTC North American driver's license data breach
  4. 2026-09-04 06:38 UTC North American driver's license data breach

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