Was I in the GoldSilver breach?
GoldSilver is a bullion education and dealer site. Its breach happened in October 2018 and exposed 242,715 accounts. It included security questions and answers, part of payment card numbers, bank account numbers and passport numbers and 7 other kinds of detail. If you had an account there by October 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.
What happened?
In October 2018, GoldSilver, a site that teaches about and deals in bullion, was breached. Both customers and people on its mailing list were affected. Names, addresses, phone numbers and purchases were taken, and passwords and security answers were kept as MD5 hashes. A few people also had passport, social security or partial card details exposed. The company said it had contacted every affected customer.
- Organisation
- GoldSilver, a bullion education and dealer site (goldsilver.com)
- When it happened
- October 2018
- Added to monitored breach databases
- 27 December 2018
- Accounts in the data
- 242,715
- What was exposed
- security questions and answers, part of payment card numbers, bank account numbers, passport numbers, Social Security numbers, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses (where you connected from), names and purchases
The breach record cites a public report on goldsilver.com.
What was exposed, and what does it mean for me?
- Your passwordsecurity questions and answers
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.
- 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.
- Government ID numberspassport numbers and Social Security numbers
With an ID number, someone can try to open credit, claim benefits or file a tax return in your name.
- 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 detailsIP addresses (where you connected from), names and purchases
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. Change the password, and every reuse of it
- Change your GoldSilver 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.
- Where you used the same security questions or hints elsewhere, change the answers to ones nobody could look up. They do not have to be true.
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. 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.
4. Treat the ID number as known
- Watch for mail about accounts, benefits or tax filings you did not start.
- In the US, if your Social Security number was among them, ask the IRS for an identity protection PIN. Nobody else can then file a tax return with your number.
- In Canada, if your identity is used, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre lists Service Canada (1-800-622-6232) and the Canada Revenue Agency (1-800-959-8281) among the calls to make.
5. 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.
6. 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).
7. 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.
8. 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.
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
- CISA: Use strong passwordsRead 14 October 2026
- Get Cyber Safe (Government of Canada): Password managersRead 14 October 2026
- CISA: More than a password (multi-factor authentication)Read 14 October 2026
- Get Cyber Safe (Government of Canada): Multi-factor authenticationRead 14 October 2026
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: What to do if you are a victim of identity fraudRead 14 October 2026
- IRS: Get an identity protection PINRead 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
- CISA: Recognize and report phishingRead 14 October 2026
- Get Cyber Safe (Government of Canada): Fact sheet on phishingRead 14 October 2026