20,520 Deways French Car Rental Accounts: May 2016

HEROIC analysts uncovered the Deways breach while monitoring dark web Telegram channels where older databases are frequently repackaged and sold. The incident occured on May 10, 2016, affecting 20,520 user accounts at Deways, a French car rental platform. The exposed records contain real names, email addresses, usernames, and bcrypt-hashed passwords, meaning anyone who reused their Deways password on other sites could still be at risk today, especially with identity theft posibilities.

How Attackers Exploit Full Names Combined With Passwords

When a breach includes both your real name and your email address, attackers have everything they need to craft convincing phishing messages. Paired with a cracked or reused password, this data can be used to access email accounts, social media profiles, and online banking. Bcrypt hashing slows attackers down, but weak or common passwords are still accessable to cracking tools given enough time.

What Was Exposed in the Deways Breach

• First Name
• Last Name
• Hash Type
• Email Address
• Username
• Passwords (bcrypt hashed)

Why This Matters for French Users Targeted in This Breach

Identity theft and account takeover are beleived to be the primary risks from breaches like this one. With your first and last name plus email address, attackers can impersonate you in phishing scams, attempt to reset passwords on other accounts, or sell your profile data to other criminals. Financial fraud becomes more likely when personal details are combined with working credentials from a seperate service you may have used the same password for.

How a Database Breach Works

A database breach occurs when attackers gain unauthorized access to a company's stored user records, usually by exploiting a vulnerability in the website or its software. Once inside, they copy and download the database containing personal details and login credentials. This data is then traded or sold on hacking forums and Telegram channels, sometimes years after the original incident.

Check If Your Data Was Exposed

HEROIC's free breach scanner checks your email against over 400 billion leaked records, including the Deways breach. Visit HEROIC.com to run a free search and see exactly what data of yours may be in criminal hands.