Impact & Downstream Threats
This breach carries high risk due to the nature of exposed data fields and the scale of affected records.
- Credential stuffing against reused passwords across other platforms
- SIM swap attacks where phone numbers are present
- Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses
Breach Intelligence
Executive Summary
In January 2023, a significant data breach affected over 20 million users of the background check services TruthFinder and Instant Checkmate. The compromised data, originating from a 2019 backup, was leaked on a hacking forum and included sensitive information such as full names, email addresses, phone numbers, and securely encrypted passwords. The parent company, PeopleConnect, confirmed that the exposed data pertained to customer accounts created between 2011 and 2019. Investigations revealed that the breach likely resulted from an inadvertent leak or theft of a specific list, with no evidence suggesting a direct breach of the company's active networks.,
About Instant Checkmate
People search and background check service.
Data Points Exposed
Dark Web Verification
Status: Confirmed
- Dataset containing approximately 20.2M records identified in breach intelligence sources.
- The data is indexed and searchable across breach notification platforms.
Recommended Actions
⚠️ Do not assume this is low sensitivity.
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.
Frequently Asked Questions
In April 2019, Instant Checkmate experienced a data breach that exposed approximately 20.2M records containing personal information.
The exposed data includes fields such as email address, full name, password, phone number.
Approximately 20.2M records were affected based on current breach intelligence.
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- A public-facing individual
- A high-profile executive
- A customer of Instant Checkmate
- Or concerned about credential reuse
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