Data breach · November 2018

Was I in the Adapt breach?

Adapt is a business contact data aggregator. Its breach happened in November 2018 and exposed 9,363,740 accounts. It included home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and employers and 3 other kinds of detail. If you had an account there by November 2018, check your address below to see whether it is one of them.

Breach record last updated . Steps read from the government pages at the foot of this page.

01

What happened?

In November 2018, a security researcher found an unprotected database run by the data aggregator. It exposed records on individuals and their employers, including names, job titles, contact details and company descriptions, size and revenue. The company did not reply when contacted.

Organisation
Adapt, a business contact data aggregator (adapt.io)
When it happened
November 2018
Added to monitored breach databases
22 November 2018
Accounts in the data
9,363,740
What was exposed
home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, employers, job titles, names and social media profiles
02

What was exposed, and what does it mean for me?

  • Identity detailshome addresses

    A home address makes a scam letter or a fake delivery notice look genuine. With a date of birth from another breach, it is most of what a lender asks for when someone opens credit in your name.

  • Your phone numberphone numbers

    Expect texts and calls that use your real details to sound genuine. A phone number is also what a fraudster needs to try to move your service to their own SIM card.

  • Your email addressemail addresses

    Expect messages that look like they come from this service or another one you use, written to get you to click a link or sign in on a fake page.

  • Other detailsemployers, job titles, names and social media profiles

    On their own these carry less risk, but they make a scam message sound more personal.

03

What should I do now?

In this order, for what this breach exposed.

1. In the US: freeze your credit at all three bureaus

  • Place a credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It is free to place and to lift, and it does not affect your credit score.
  • If you would rather not freeze, a fraud alert lasts one year. You ask one bureau and it tells the other two.
  • If someone uses your details, report it at IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan.

2. In Canada: check your credit file and lock it

  • Get your credit report from Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada. Both give it free online.
  • In Ontario, both bureaus must offer a security freeze free of charge, and each bureau is a separate request.
  • If you live in Quebec or Ontario, Equifax Canada will lock your credit report at no charge, online, by phone or by mail. Ask TransUnion Canada separately.
  • If your details are used to open an account, call your bank, report it to both bureaus, report it to your local police and get a file number, then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501).

3. Protect your phone number

  • Ask your mobile carrier to put a PIN or passcode on your account, and ask whether it offers a lock on SIM changes and number transfers.
  • Treat texts about deliveries, accounts or payments with care. Do not tap the link: contact the company on a number you already have.

4. Expect phishing

  • Be wary of messages that urge you to act fast, ask for personal details, or link to an address that is slightly off.
  • If a message might be genuine, do not use its links or phone numbers. Go to the site by typing its address yourself.
04

Is my address in it?

Enter your email address. We check that one address against monitored breach databases and show which breaches list it and what each exposed.

No account needed. We keep the address you check, when, and how many breach records it was found in, to prevent abuse, until you ask us to delete it. Privacy