Verifications.io data breach
From Breaches, in the HARD wiki · Updated
This article is about the February 2019 breach of Verifications.io. For every breach, see Breaches.
The Verifications.io data breach exposed 763,117,241 accounts from verifications.io in February 2019. The data taken includes dates of birth, names, physical addresses and email addresses and 6 more kinds of data.[1]
Have I Been Pwned verified it and added it to its search on 9 Mar 2019, within a month. It is the 2nd largest of the 618 breaches in HARD’s list.
What was exposed
Verifications.io’s breach included 10 kinds of data. What each lets criminals do:
| Data | What it’s used for |
|---|---|
| Dates of birth | Used to prove who you are to banks and phone companies. |
| Names | Makes scam messages personal enough to believe. |
| Physical addresses | Used to prove who you are, and for scam letters and parcels. |
| Email addresses | Expect scam emails that name the company to look genuine. |
| Phone numbers | Expect scam texts and calls, and a higher risk of someone moving your number to their SIM. |
| Employers | Personal details that make scam messages more convincing. |
| Genders | Personal details that make scam messages more convincing. |
| Geographic locations | Roughly where you live. |
| IP addresses | Roughly where you were when you used the service. |
| Job titles | Personal details that make scam messages more convincing. |
What to do
- Check whether you’re in it.Search your email address on Have I Been Pwned. It tells you which breaches it appears in, Verifications.io among them, without showing the data.
- Distrust messages that mention Verifications.io.Scammers use breach data to sound genuine. Don’t click links in emails or texts about the breach; go to the site yourself.
- Put a PIN on your phone account.Ask your mobile provider for a port-out PIN, so no one can move your number to their SIM.
- Freeze your credit.In the US, free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. In Australia, ask Equifax, Experian and illion for a ban. No one can open credit in your name while it’s on.
Timeline
- : the breach, as best it can be dated.
- : Have I Been Pwned verifies the data and adds it to its search, within a month.
Similar breaches
Breaches that leaked the same kinds of data, closest in time:
- MGM Resorts (2022 Update), July 2019, 25 million accounts
- EatStreet, May 2019, 6.4 million accounts
- Audi, August 2019, 2.7 million accounts
- Exactis, June 2018, 132 million accounts
- bigbasket, October 2020, 25 million accounts
- Dave, June 2020, 3 million accounts
See Breaches for all 618, and Updates for keeping your devices patched.
References
- ^ Troy Hunt. “Verifications.io”, Have I Been Pwned, added 9 Mar 2019. Breach data licensed CC BY 4.0.
External links
- Have I Been Pwned, to check your email address
- verifications.io, Verifications.io’s website