Truth Finder 2019 Data Breach
ObscureIQ Breach Intelligence
Low SeverityWebsite / service breach
TruthFinder People-Search Background Check Service Breach (2019): 8.2 Million User Accounts & Hashed Passwords Exposed
People search and background check service.
Verified by ObscureIQ Intelligence
24/100Breach Risk Index
14Data Value
10Market Recency
1250dSince Breach
Breach Intelligence Summary
Entity: Truth Finder · Actor: Unknown · Sources: 3 references
Attack: Database Exposure
Profile: Data Broker · Background checks and people search · People search and background report service · USA
Timeline: Breach (2019-04-12) · Indexed (Feb 04, 2023) · Year (2019)
Exposure: 8.2M records · 4 fields: Email Address, Full Name, Password, Phone Number
Status: Confirmed
Executive Summary
In early 2023, a 2019 database backup for TruthFinder was leaked on a hacking forum, exposing roughly 8.1 million customer accounts (part of a combined TruthFinder plus Instant Checkmate leak of about 20.2 million). Exposed data covered customers who registered between 2011 and 2019 and included names, email addresses, phone numbers, encrypted passwords, and expired or inactive password-reset tokens.
ObscureIQ assessment: Extremely high risk. Exposure enables stalking, doxxing, identity theft, harassment, and large-scale profiling because the service is designed to resolve and expose personal information.
Breach Impact
The exposed data identifies people as customers of a background-check service and pairs names with contact details, supporting targeted phishing; the leaked records concern customer accounts rather than the background-report subjects.
About Truth Finder
TruthFinder is a US background-check and people-search service operated by PeopleConnect, which also runs Instant Checkmate. Customers use it to look up public-records-based reports on individuals.
Why They Hold Your Data
People-search and background-report platforms aggregate identity, address, phone, criminal-record, relative, and public-record data into searchable profiles for consumer use.
Recent Developments
PeopleConnect confirmed the incident in February 2023 after a 2019 database backup was leaked on a hacking forum, affecting both TruthFinder and its sister brand Instant Checkmate.
Data Points Exposed
4 verified field types
Email Address
Full Name High
Password Critical
Phone Number
Field names are shown in full for clarity and search visibility. Canonical machine keys are emitted only in this page’s structured data.
Exploitation & Downstream Threats
Threat Activity:Moderate
Primary downstream threats:
- Credential stuffing against reused passwords across other platforms
- SIM swap attacks where phone numbers are present
- Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses
Threat vectors:
- Phishing, credential stuffing & account takeover
- Name-based social engineering
- Credential stuffing & account takeover
- SIM swapping, vishing & SMS phishing
Recommended Actions
If you believe your information may be included:
Change Reused Passwords
Update this account and anywhere you reused the password; use a manager.
Enable MFA Everywhere
Turn on multi-factor authentication on email first, then financial accounts.
Report & Recover
If you spot misuse, start an official recovery plan and report fraud.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Truth Finder breach?▾
In early 2023, a 2019 database backup for TruthFinder was leaked on a hacking forum, exposing roughly 8.1 million customer accounts (part of a combined TruthFinder plus Instant Checkmate leak of about 20.2 million). Exposed data covered customers who registered between 2011 and 2019 and included…
What data was exposed?▾
Verified fields include Email Address, Full Name, Password, Phone Number.
What should I do if I was affected?▾
Change reused passwords, enable MFA, and (if identity or financial data is involved) freeze your credit and monitor your accounts.
Sources & References
Every claim on this page is traceable. This breach draws on:
Breach Index
Cross-source
Leaked.Domains
ObscureIQ Intelligence
ObscureIQ proprietary analysis
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