Nationalities leaked: what it means and what to do
Risk level: medium. Can you change it: no. Found in 10 breaches in this directory.
What this data is
The country of citizenship recorded against your account, collected by airlines, travel sites, visa services, banks, employers and some dating apps.
The risk on its own
Nationality cannot open an account or be used to borrow money. Its risk is targeting: it tells a scammer which government agencies you are likely to fear or trust. For people living outside their country of citizenship, it can also reveal migration background they never chose to share.
The risk combined with other data
With your name and phone number it enables immigration and embassy impersonation scams scripted for your country. Combined with a passport number or visa details it becomes part of an identity document. For refugees, dissidents and members of persecuted groups, a nationality tied to an address can be a physical safety issue.
How criminals use it
A caller claims to be from the immigration department and threatens visa cancellation unless a fine is paid today.
A fake embassy message says your passport has been flagged and asks you to send documents and a processing fee.
Scam messages arrive in your first language and mention your home country to win trust quickly.
Your nationality is used to discriminate against you in housing, hiring or targeted online harassment.
What to do now
Remember that immigration departments and embassies never demand payment by phone, gift card or crypto. Hang up and contact them through their official website.
Check whether passport or visa numbers leaked in the same breach, since those need their own action.
Remove nationality and country of origin from dating and social profiles unless you want them visible.
If you fear authorities or groups from your home country, ask the breached company in writing to delete your record and speak to a migrant support service.
Warn relatives and friends from the same community, because the same scam scripts are usually sent to everyone on the list.
Frequently asked questions
Can my nationality be used for identity theft?
Not by itself. It becomes useful to fraudsters beside a passport number or visa details, which is why you should check for those fields first.
Why do travel sites store my nationality?
Airlines and border systems require citizenship details for bookings and passenger checks, so travel companies keep them on your profile.
I got a call threatening my visa. Is it real?
Treat it as a scam. Genuine immigration authorities contact you in writing and never demand immediate payment over the phone.
Breaches that exposed this data
TAP Air Portugal: 2022-08-25, 6.1M accounts, Dates of birth, Email addresses, Genders, Names, Nationalities, Phone numbers
Phone House España: 2021-04-08, 5.2M accounts, Dates of birth, Email addresses, Genders, Names, Nationalities, Phone numbers
MalindoAir: 2019-03-01, 4.3M accounts, Dates of birth, Email addresses, Genders, Loyalty program details, Names, Nationalities
JobStreet: 2012-03-07, 3.9M accounts, Dates of birth, Email addresses, Genders, Geographic locations, Government issued IDs, Marital statuses
Breach data sourced from Have I Been Pwned, used under CC BY 4.0. Additional breach metadata provided by XposedOrNot. DataExposed is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either.