type: incident · created: 2026-09-02 · updated: 2026-09-02 · tags: [incident, data-breach, identity-theft, data-theft, government] · confidence: medium · severity: critical · affected_sectors: [government, retail, finance] · au_impact: true
FBI Probes Identity Service Selling 153M+ Driver's Licences, Traced to idscan.net
Summary
A new dark-web identity-theft service, Nexus, launched on the Russian Exploit forum offering digital scans of more than 153 million US and Canadian driver's licences — the single largest identity-theft dataset claim of the year. Krebs on Security's forensics traced the scans back to idscan.net, a Louisiana identity-verification firm, and the FBI's New Orleans field office opened an official investigation.
Key Facts
- Dataset: Over 153 million US and Canadian driver's licences, over 10 million identification cards, 3 million travel documents and 579,000 medical cards — growing by ~400,000 in 24 hours, suggesting ongoing exfiltration.
- Origin: Timestamps traced to idscan.net, which performs 21 million verifications monthly; clients include Hertz, Target, FedEx, Motorola, Jack Henry and Caesars.
- Status: idscan.net confirmed it is investigating a potential security incident, notifying clients and engaging forensics and counsel. Probable breach pending disclosure.
- Verified contents: Records include Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's licence and the FBI Assistant Director's.
Significance
For Australian agencies and firms, the compromise class — domestic identity-verification chains that scan licences and passports for onboarding — is identical, so third-party ID-vetting vendors should be reviewed under supplier risk obligations.