PeopleConnect Confirms Data Breach Affecting Millions of TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate Customers

PeopleConnect, the owners of the TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate background check services, has confirmed a data breach after hackers leaked a 2019 backup database containing the information of millions of customers.

Background on TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate

TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate are subscription-based services that allow customers to perform background checks on other individuals. These sites gather information from various sources, including publicly scraped data, court records, social media, and criminal records.

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Merger with PeopleConnect Holdings

In 2020, PubRec, LLC merged with PeopleConnect Holdings, Inc., resulting in a massive portfolio of services focused on finding information about people.

Data Leaked on Hacking Forum

On January 21st, a member of the Breached hacking and data breach forum leaked information allegedly belonging to 20.22 million TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate customers who used the services up to April 16th, 2019.

The leaked data consisted of two 2.9 GB CSV files containing customer information, including email addresses, hashed passwords, first and last names, and phone numbers.

Data Breach Confirmed by PeopleConnect

PeopleConnect launched an investigation after being contacted by BleepingComputer and Troy Hunt of Have I Been Pwned about the data leak. The company confirmed that both TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate suffered a data breach.

“The published list originated inside our company,” the company stated in a notice. “We have confirmed that the list was created several years ago and appears to include all customer accounts created between 2011 and 2019.”

Investigation and Cybersecurity Measures

PeopleConnect is still investigating the incident and has engaged with a third-party cybersecurity firm to assess the situation. The company has found no evidence of its network being breached.

PeopleConnect is warning customers to be cautious of targeted phishing attacks and will provide updates as more information becomes available. The leaked data will also be added to Have I Been Pwned, where users can confirm if their account information was exposed.

Conclusion

PeopleConnect has confirmed a data breach affecting millions of TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate customers. The company is actively investigating the situation and working with a third-party cybersecurity firm to ensure customer safety. Customers are advised to be cautious of phishing attacks and to check if their information was exposed on Have I Been Pwned.

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