I rented a car, and within hours, my driver's license was for sale

I recently rented a vehicle from a major rental provider. Shortly after an employee scanned my driver's license for security purposes, a high-quality scan of my identification was posted on the dark web for sale. According to an investigative report published by KrebsOnSecurity on Tuesday, my license was among over 153 million that were listed through Nexus, the newest ID theft platform.

Similar to numerous other driver's licenses available on Nexus, including those of renowned journalist Brian Krebs, his mother, an FBI assistant director, and various security experts, my license featured multiple image files displaying both sides of the ID. In addition to a standard image scan, these files also contained infrared and ultraviolet spectrum images.

These extra formats may enable counterfeit IDs, forged with the license details, to pass hologram verification tests. The demand for such IDs continues to rise, and Nexus not only advertises the availability of driver's licenses but also offers to sell a variety of other forms of identification.