Data breach · December 2021

Was I in the FlexBooker breach?

FlexBooker is an online booking service. Its breach happened in December 2021 and exposed 3,756,794 accounts. It included passwords, part of payment card numbers, phone numbers and email addresses and 1 other kind of detail. If you had an account there by December 2021, 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.

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01

What happened?

In December 2021, the booking service FlexBooker was breached. Email addresses, names and phone numbers were exposed, and a few accounts also had password hashes and partial card details exposed. The company said the breach began with a compromised account in its AWS setup. The data was later seen being traded on a well known hacking forum.

Organisation
FlexBooker, an online booking service (flexbooker.com)
When it happened
December 2021
Added to monitored breach databases
6 January 2022
Accounts in the data
3,756,794
What was exposed
passwords, part of payment card numbers, phone numbers, email addresses and names

The breach record cites a public report on flexbooker.com.

02

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

  • Your passwordpasswords

    The password for this account was in the data, either as written or in a stored form that can often be reversed when the password is short or common. Anyone with the list can try it on your email, bank and shopping accounts.

  • Payment card detailspart of payment card numbers

    A full card number with its code can be used to buy things. Part of a card number cannot, but it makes a scam call sound like your bank.

  • 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 detailsnames

    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. Change the password, and every reuse of it

  • Change your FlexBooker password if the account still exists. Then change the same password on every other account where you used it, starting with your email.
  • Use a different password for each account. A password manager makes that practical: it creates long passwords and remembers them for you.
  • Turn on a second sign-in step, such as a code from an app or a security key, for your email, bank and social accounts. Your email comes first, because every password reset goes to it.

2. Deal with the card

  • Call the number on the back of your card, tell the bank about the breach and ask for a new card number.
  • Check each statement for charges you do not recognise.
  • If a caller asks you for a full card number or a code sent to your phone, hang up and call the number on your card.

3. 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.

4. 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).

5. 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.

6. 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

Sources

Where does this come from?

Other breaches from 2021

All breaches Breaches from 2021 Breaches that exposed passwordsBreaches that exposed phone numbersBreaches that exposed payment card details