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A third‑party site known as “UK Visa Portal” exposed thousands of passport scans, selfie photos and other visa application data — an exposure TechCrunch says totaled at least 100,000 documents.
The data was stored in a misconfigured Amazon cloud repository that allowed direct access to files and, in some images, embedded location metadata precise enough to reveal home addresses.
The site is not affiliated with the UK government and reportedly mimicked the official GOV.UK service; some users say they paid the company by mistake.
TechCrunch alerted the operator and the storage was secured hours after publication, but the company’s management did not respond publicly and instead sent lawyers and a PR firm to the reporter.
It remains unclear whether affected individuals or regulators have been notified.
Security outlets warn exposed passports and biometric photos heighten risks of identity theft and fraud and advise affected users to monitor accounts, enable multi‑factor authentication and use official government channels for visa applications.








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