National Public Data data breach
Was I affected?
National Public Data confirmed a breach affecting an undisclosed number of people, exposing names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and addresses. Because the broker compiled public-record data, most US adults (especially those born before 2000) could be in the file; there is no customer relationship, so check whether your SSN or email appears using a reputable lookup service.
| Announced | Aug 16, 2024 |
|---|---|
| When it happened | Around December 2023 to June 2024 |
| Data exposed | Names, Social Security numbers, Dates of birth, Addresses, Phone numbers and Email addresses |
| Status | Confirmed by the company or a regulator filing |
What happened
Background-check data broker National Public Data (Jerico Pictures) confirmed that a hacker stole its records, which were later dumped online as roughly 2.7-2.9 billion rows. The files paired names with Social Security numbers, birth dates, mailing addresses and phone numbers, much of it for people who never dealt with the company. The firm told regulators about 1.3 million people were affected, while analysts counted far more unique SSNs, so the true number is unclear.
What should I do?
- Freeze your credit for free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion so no one can open new accounts in your name.
- Request an IRS Identity Protection PIN so nobody can file a tax return with your Social Security number.
- Create your own my Social Security account at ssa.gov so no one else can open one in your name.
- Pull your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and dispute any account or inquiry you don't recognize.
Check whether your email address is in this breach on Have I Been Pwned (breach data from haveibeenpwned.com, CC BY 4.0).
Check the other services you use →
Sources
- Social Security numbers leak from National Public Data · The Record (news)
- National Public Data confirms breach that exposed Americans' Social Security numbers · Engadget (news)