Was I in the Free breach?
Free is a French internet service provider. Its breach happened in October 2024 and exposed 13,926,173 accounts. It included bank account numbers, dates of birth, home addresses and phone numbers and 2 other kinds of detail. If you had an account there by October 2024, 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.
What happened?
In October 2024, the French internet provider Free was breached. The data was first offered for sale and then leaked to the public. It held email addresses, names, postal addresses, phone numbers, genders and dates of birth, and many records had IBAN bank account details. The company said those details alone could not be used to set up a direct debit.
- Organisation
- Free, a French internet service provider (free.fr)
- When it happened
- October 2024
- Added to monitored breach databases
- 27 May 2025
- Accounts in the data
- 13,926,173
- What was exposed
- bank account numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, genders and names
The breach record cites a public report on bleepingcomputer.com.
What was exposed, and what does it mean for me?
- Bank and money detailsbank account numbers
Account numbers, balances and payment history let a scam call or email quote facts that only your bank should know.
- Identity detailsdates of birth and home addresses
A date of birth and a home address are what a lender asks for when someone opens credit in your name. They do not change, so they stay useful to a fraudster for years.
- 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.
- Other detailsgenders and names
On their own these carry less risk, but they make a scam message sound more personal.
What should I do now?
In this order, for what this breach exposed.
1. Tell your bank and watch the account
- Watch your statements for payments you did not make, and tell your bank about the breach.
- If someone calls quoting your account details, hang up and call the bank on the number you already have.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. 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.
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
Where does this come from?
- The breach record in monitored breach databases: dates, account count and what was exposed. What happened is in our own words.Read 14 October 2026
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: What to do if you are a victim of identity fraudRead 14 October 2026
- US Federal Trade Commission: Credit freezes and fraud alertsRead 14 October 2026
- IdentityTheft.gov (US Federal Trade Commission)Read 14 October 2026
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada: Getting your credit report and credit scoreRead 14 October 2026
- Government of Ontario: Credit reports and security freezesRead 14 October 2026
- Equifax Canada: Credit lock (Quebec and Ontario residents)Read 14 October 2026
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: Phishing, including text messagesRead 14 October 2026