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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesNational Public Data (NPD), a background-check and public-records data service, acknowledged a security incident involving attempted access in late December 2023 and potential data leaks in April and summer 2024. Those dates and the widely repeated figure of nearly 3 billion people come from 2024 reports and announcements; the official sources cited here do not verify how many distinct people were affected.
What happened, and when?
In an August 22, 2024 letter, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability quoted NPD’s website as saying there “appears to have been a data security incident” involving a third-party actor trying to access data in late December 2023, with “potential leaks” in April 2024 and summer 2024. The committee’s letter is a contemporaneous account of what NPD said, not a complete forensic timeline or an independent confirmation of each event. Read the committee’s letter.
The House letter also recounted an alleged victim’s statement that an identity-theft protection service notified him on July 24, 2024. That account indicates that monitoring notifications were part of the reported response to the incident; it does not establish a particular provider or partner program.
How many people were affected?
The House committee described nearly 3 billion people as a figure reported in connection with the incident. Missouri’s Attorney General likewise referred to 2.9 billion as an allegation in public reporting. Neither announcement verifies that nearly 3 billion distinct people were affected. A reported number of records or entries should not be treated as a count of unique individuals; the official sources cited here do not establish a verified total of distinct people.
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What information was reportedly involved?
In its letter, the House committee identified names, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses among the information reportedly at risk. Missouri’s Attorney General’s August 22 announcement also referred to current and past addresses. These are categories described as reported, potentially at risk, or suspected—not a confirmed inventory of data accessed or leaked for every person. Read the Missouri Attorney General’s announcement.
What did officials do?
House Oversight Committee
On August 22, 2024, the committee announced an inquiry and requested a briefing from NPD to confirm whether an attack occurred and, if so, assess its potential impact and the company’s response. The letter documents that request; it does not establish the inquiry’s current status or outcome.
Missouri Attorney General
Also on August 22, 2024, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced an investigation into reports of stolen Social Security numbers. That announcement records the investigation’s launch, not its present status or findings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What can you conclude if you are concerned?
The official statements support treating the reported data categories—especially Social Security numbers and contact or address information—as relevant to personal-data monitoring. They do not establish whether any particular person’s information was exposed, or confirm the number of unique people affected. The notification described in the House letter shows that an identity-theft protection service contacted one alleged victim, but the sources here do not verify a specific service or make a recommendation.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →The announcements cited here were published in August 2024. They do not establish the current disposition of the congressional or state investigations, any litigation, or a final, verified impact count.
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