it's official: Verizon confirms what many Americans feared and kept them up at night

For several days, thousands of Verizon users in the United States experienced moments of uncertainty. This was especially true after news of a possible massive leak of personal data spread online. Reports mentioned millions of records, sensitive information, and an alleged unauthorized access.

Everything pointed to a serious situation, with potentially dangerous consequences such as identity theft or scams. However, the company has replied with a statement that aims to put an end to the panic. It categorically denies that this database has any connection to its current customers.

Everything began when a group of cybersecurity researchers from SafetyDetectives detected a post on a public forum. In that post, a supposed database titled Verizon USA was being offered for sale. It claimed to contain more than 61 million records.

The file, according to the seller, was 3.1 GB (3.1 gigabytes) in size and was available in formats such as CSV or JSON. The most concerning aspect was the images published as proof. They showed personal data such as names, addresses, dates of birth, email addresses, tax identification numbers, and several phone numbers.

A risk for Verizon customers

As a result of the discovery, alarmist versions about a new data leak from Verizon began to circulate. However, the company itself investigated the situation and denied that the information had any connection to its systems or its customer base. According to what it explained to specialized media such as TechRadar, the material offered on the forum corresponds to old data.

They were collected from previous leaks unrelated to the company. In fact, they point out that this information has been recycled and repackaged, something that happens frequently in these forums.

SafetyDetectives experts also indicated that the structure of the data seemed legitimate. However, they couldn't confirm its authenticity or that it belonged to real Verizon users. In addition, they observed details that raised suspicions about a possible scam attempt.

For example, the supposed seller replied with a simple "For sale" when asked for a link to download the database. This suggests that it was a fraudulent offer rather than a real leak.

Verizon sends a message of calm

This type of post is common in open forums. There, malicious actors offer leaked databases to sell them to the highest bidder. Many times, old files are reused and presented as current to attract unsuspecting buyers.

In any case, Verizon has made it clear that there hasn't been any recent security breach in its systems. The company assures that the published data don't belong to its customers and don't come from its infrastructure. This confirmation brings relief to millions of concerned users.