12,138 Z-Car Enthusiast Personal Information Exposed Online
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 16, 2008 UPDATED: December 20, 2008Media Contact: Aaron Titus
(202) 669-2969
California and Texas. More than 12,000 Z-Car enthusiasts have had their names, addresses, e-mail addresses, and other contact information exposed online. An mlinks.net user, "~aktar" placed a backed-up copy of a SQL database of Internet Z-Car Club Members, which was picked up by search engines. The database also includes personal comments, including dates of birth and car information, despite the fact that many of the members had indicated that they wanted their contact information hidden.
The identity of "~aktar" is not known, but his website contains a picture of a red '72 Datsun 240Z, with a California license plate. The website also contained a few spoof E-bay sign-in screens, which could have been used for phishing.
[UPDATE: December 20, 2008] A person who identified himself as the current owner of the 1972 Datsun 240Z contacted the Liberty Coalition, to assure us that he was not affiliated with the breach. He purchased the car in late 2007. We're just impressed that the car is still running.
Individuals affected by this exposure should immediately visit www.nationalidwatch.org and search for their names, to confirm what types of personal information were exposed. NationalIDWatch.org has a list of recommended steps victims should take.
About NationalIDWatch.org
National ID Watch is a search engine for personal information breaches. Sponsored by the Washington, DC non-profit Liberty Coalition, NationalIDWatch.org provides more than a million free personalized Identity Exposure Reports™ as a public service.
Each Identity Exposure Report (IXR) documents what types of personal information were exposed (such as Social Security Numbers, Birth Dates, Addresses, etc.), without revealing them. Each IXR also details the situation surrounding each exposure, and contact information of those responsible for the breach. Armed with this information, victims can further investigate, take action, or correct harm.