PSA: ⚠️ LexisNexis Data Breach: What You Need to Know (and What You Should Do)

KCStark
May 29
3 min read

Hey folks, do you know LexisNexis? They likely know all about you. They’re one of the biggest data brokers in the U.S.—and yep, they got hacked. Worst of all, it started in Dec 2024 and they didn’t find out until, wait for it…April Fool’s Day. Geez, the tragic irony.

Personal note to anyone in political power: LexisNexis and other data brokers are legally allowed to buy and sell Americans’ most private information—without our consent. If you want to be a great leader, pass legislation that protects our privacy over data piracy and corporate greed. None of us gave LexisNexis permission to collect our data. And yet, it’s been stolen—and as we speak, that information is likely floating around the dark web.

We need real data privacy laws. Now.

May 2025: A massive data breach has exposed over 184 million unique login credentials, including usernames and passwords for major platforms like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. The unencrypted and publicly accessible database was discovered by cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler, who described it as “one of the most dangerous discoveries I have found in a very long time.”

💡 Why It Matters

LexisNexis isn’t some random company. They collect and sell your data to banks, insurance companies, and even law enforcement. So when they mess up, the consequences can be serious. Especially if you’re one of the unlucky folks whose info got leaked.

And it’s not the first time they’ve been in the hot seat. They’ve already been caught selling driver data to car insurance companies—leading to higher premiums for people.

Don’t Worry - Take Action

As a trooper that had a top secret clearance in the military and is a licesned mortgage broker, I protect myself and my client’s data. You can too.

It’s actually kinda, easy. 1 + 2 + 3 = EASY.

Lock your credit reports.
Change your top tier passwords today, such as Apple ID, Android ID, financial logins.
Then - check to see if your personal identifiable information is on the Darkweb.

These three steps will make it harder for you to become the next viction. There really NO reason your credit reports should NOT be locked in today’s digital piracy seas. So easy.

🔒 Freeze Your Credit Reports (Free & Safe)

Freezing your credit prevents new accounts from being opened in your name. You’ll need to do this at all three major credit bureaus:

Equifax – freeze.equifax.com
Experian – experian.com/freeze
TransUnion – freeze.transunion.com

👉 Pro tip: Keep track of your PIN/passwords in case you need to lift the freeze later.

📫 Stop Junk Mail & Pre-Approved Credit Offers

Cut down on spammy credit and insurance offers: how fun! :)

OptOutPrescreen.com – www.optoutprescreen.com (Official site by Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, and Innovis).
Opt out for 5 years online.
Or print and mail a form to opt out permanently.

Also try: DMAchoice.org – dmachoice.thedma.org to reduce catalogs, magazine offers, and other junk mail.

📋 Get Your Free Credit Reports

You’re legally entitled to 1 free report per year from each bureau. I got mine!

✅ AnnualCreditReport.com (The official site!)

⚠️ Be cautious of lookalike sites — this is the only one backed by the government and the FTC.

💥 What Happened?

Back in December 2024, someone got into LexisNexis’s systems by sneaking through their GitHub (a place where companies store code). The problem? They didn’t even realize it happened until April 1, 2025. Not a great April Fool’s joke.

🕵️‍♂️ What Was Stolen?

Over 364,000 people may have had personal info exposed, including:

Full names
Social Security numbers
Phone numbers and email addresses
Driver’s license numbers

Not everyone had the same data leaked, but some had all of the above. That’s a goldmine for scammers.

👀 What You Should Do (Even If You’re Not Sure You Were Affected)

Watch your accounts like a hawk. Log in to your bank and credit card apps regularly and flag anything weird.
Get your free credit report. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com and check for accounts you didn’t open.
Set up fraud alerts or a credit freeze. It’s free and can stop scammers from opening accounts in your name.
Don’t trust fishy texts, emails, or calls. Scammers love to strike while the news is hot. If someone asks for info, double-check it’s legit.