Hackers claim to be selling 61 million Verizon records online, but it might not be what it seems
- A team of security experts have uncovered what looks like a Verizon database for sale
- Hosted on the Clear Web forum, it purportedly contains records of 61 million Verizon users
- Details contained within the database suggests that it is as recent as 2025
A new report by cybersecurity researchers at SafetyDetectives has revealed a huge dataset posted online by hackers in a CSV/JSON file containing a total of 3.1GB, reportedly totalling around 61 million ‘Verizon USA’ records. The author has dated this information as ‘2025’ which suggests a potential new data breach – although Verizon since has told TechRadar Pro that it has examined the data posted, and it is old data, not affiliated with the company.
The information exposed includes sensitive data including names, dates of birth, tax IDs, addresses, and phone numbers. This, like most breaches, puts those affected at a serious risk of identity theft – so if you are concerned you may be at risk, make sure to take a look at the best identity theft protection software.
Verizon is a telecommunications giant, and has almost 150 million subscribers – making it the largest wireless carrier in the United States.
What you need to know
It’s not clear yet where this information comes from, if this is a new breach researchers have uncovered, or even if the data does really belong to Verizon customers, although the researchers confirm that this ‘does seem legit’. TechRadar Pro did reach out to Verizon to confirm, and a spokesperson gave us this statement;
“We’re aware of an issue in which a threat actor posted a data set claiming to that of Verizon customers on the dark web. We have examined the postings and have determined that it is old data, previously posted on the dark web, and is not affiliated with our Company or customers. Additionally, this threat actor recently made similar claims about other large U.S. wireless companies. At this point, there’s no need to notify customers and there’s no impact to Verizon or its customers.”
Recently, reports revealed a Verizon flaw that could allow hackers to view their entire call history, although the flaw was addressed in March, and the flaw primarily threatened high-profile figures or journalists whose call logs could be of interest.
Alongside this, thousands of Verizon employees were left potentially at risk following an insider breach – but this didn’t affect customer data. The employee data included personally identifiable information – so workers should be on the lookout for social engineering attacks.
Data breaches are becoming increasingly common, with almost a third of enterprises experiencing a breach despite increased cybersecurity investments. You can see whether your information is affected using the popular breach checking website HaveIBeenPwned?
How to stay safe
As well as identity theft protection software, customers can keep themselves secure by being ultra cautious of any unexpected communications, thoroughly checking any emails and texts they receive, and never clicking on any untrusted links.
Make sure to use safe and secure passwords that you rotate regularly – and never reuse a password, especially on sites that hold sensitive data like health, financial, or personal information.
If criminals have access to personally identifiable information, there’s a chance they can apply for loans/credit cards in the victim’s name too – so consider deploying the best credit monitoring services if you’re affected.
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