Mexico Probes Sale of 12.9 Million Personal Records From Call Centers and Corporations

Mexico City — Mexican authorities are investigating the illegal sale of more than 12.9 million personal records harvested from call centers and major corporations, a breach that has put the private data of millions of people at risk.

The federal Anti-Corruption and Good Government Department is leading the inquiry into how the data was extracted and offered for sale.

Investigators opened the case after finding a suspicious post on the Telegram messaging app on Sept. 22, in which a user was offering the records for sale. Government agencies are now verifying the authenticity of the sample to gauge the scale of the risk, and are trying to determine whether organized crime groups are behind the extraction and distribution of the corporate files.

What the Leaked Data Includes

The compromised information includes full names, email addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, federal taxpayer registration numbers and home addresses. Official reports also indicate that sensitive banking data belonging to affected users was taken.

A preliminary report says the sample under review includes records tied to numerous well-known companies and financial institutions. Among the brands mentioned are Amazon, American Express, BBVA, Banamex, Santander, HSBC, Liverpool, Sears and Walmart, whose databases are now under review.

Legal Action

The investigation will proceed on the government’s own initiative, with the aim of punishing those who violated the Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties. Those implicated could face severe sanctions for compromising information that consumers entrusted to the companies.

The federal department said it remains committed to protecting the public’s digital rights against illegal cyber practices, and urged people to stay alert to possible fraud or identity theft stemming from the incident.