FBI Probes Dark Web Sale of 153 Million Driver's Licenses Linked to ID Verification Vendor

A dark web service dubbed Nexus has listed over 153 million digital scans of U.S. and Canadian driver's licenses for sale on a Russian cybercrime forum. The exposed database includes more than 10 million identification cards, 3 million travel documents, and 579,000 medical cards. Researchers linked the exposed front-and-back timestamped, infrared, and ultraviolet ID scans to idscan-net, a Louisiana-based identity verification provider. The FBI's New Orleans field office launched an official inquiry into the source of the high-resolution images. While idscan-net states it is investigating the matter, the Nexus operators claim they have been continuously siphoning data from a major identity verification company for over a year. "This episode should further strengthen the resolve for people who are fighting back against online ID schemes which are requiring countless providers to ask for drivers licenses in order to access services under the guise of protecting kids." — Zach Edwards