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A database allegedly containing personal information on 129 million Russian car owners was offered for sale on a dark-web forum for Bitcoin, according to a May 2020 report.
The seller sought 0.3 Bitcoin for the database or 1.5 Bitcoin for exclusive access, placing the reported prices at about $2,850 and $14,250 at the time.
Seller Listed the Database for 0.3 Bitcoin
The listing advertised a database said to contain records connected to Russian vehicle owners. Buyers could reportedly obtain access to the full dataset for 0.3 Bitcoin.
The seller also offered exclusive access for 1.5 Bitcoin. An exclusive sale would mean removing the listing and providing the database to one buyer rather than making it available to others. Bitcoin was the requested payment method. The reported prices reflect Bitcoin’s value when the listing was published in May 2020, not its current market price.
Listing Claimed to Include Passport and Address Details
The database was advertised as containing names, passport details, home addresses and other personal information linked to Russian car owners.
The report said an employee at a car-sharing company reviewed a sample of the records and found that it contained identifiable customer data. That check supported the claim that at least some of the information may have been genuine, but it did not independently verify the full database or its stated scale.
Personal data can be used for identity theft, phishing, extortion and other fraud. The apparent scope of the listing made it notable even though the source and completeness of the data were not publicly established.
Report Did Not Confirm How the Data Was Obtained
The available reporting did not establish how the seller obtained the database, whether every record was authentic or whether a buyer completed a transaction.
A dark-web listing and a sample of data do not, by themselves, confirm that a breach occurred at the organization said to hold the records. No public confirmation from Russian traffic authorities was detailed in the original report.
The case illustrated the risks surrounding large collections of personal data, particularly when sellers can seek payment through pseudonymous digital assets. It did not establish that Bitcoin itself played a role in obtaining the data or that the advertised sale was completed.
