Kazakhstan's Digital Ministry probes reported darknet sale of 15 million citizens' data
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Kazakhstan's Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development announced a technical review after reports a hacker on the darknet offered data of 15 million citizens, allegedly from a breach of the eGov portal. The seller demanded 0.5 bitcoin for the 2.7 GB file. The ministry stated there is no confirmed evidence of a system compromise.
The Darknet Listing
On August 12, 2026, the Telegram channel Mash reported that a user named shymzz13 posted a database for sale on the darknet, claiming it contained personal data of 15 million Kazakhstan residents — roughly three-quarters of the population. The file, weighing 2.7 gigabytes, allegedly includes passport details, phone numbers, email addresses, work information, document scans, and passwords, totaling 47 million rows. The asking price is 0.5 bitcoin, approximately $32,000. Several other media outlets, including Tengrinews and Ulysmedia, amplified the reports, though they noted no independent verification.
Ministry Investigation and Denial
The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development responded the same day, stating it is jointly conducting a technical review with specialized services, including an analysis of the sample data and tracing its possible source. 'At this moment, there is no confirmed data on the breach of e-government information systems,' the ministry's press service said, as cited by Vlast.kz and Azh.kz. The ministry also noted that the claim by the darknet user about the database's origin does not constitute proof of an eGov hack.
Data Inconsistencies and Public Advice
Officials pointed out that some of the data in the offer does not match the structure and format of eGov's storage. Specifically, eGov does not store scanned passport copies in the claimed form, and digital documents on the platform have a different format. The ministry urged citizens to follow basic digital security measures: never share SMS codes, passwords, or digital signature keys; avoid suspicious links; and use different passwords for different services. Orda.kz reported that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Center for Analysis and Investigation of Cyber Attacks (TSARKA) are also verifying the information.
What's Next
The ministry indicated that the technical check is ongoing, with further information to be released upon its conclusion. It remains unclear whether the data originated from a third-party aggregator, a different breach, or an entirely fabricated set designed to defraud buyers.
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Kazakhstan's Digital Ministry probes reported darknet sale of 15 million citizens' data
