Data breach · March 2012

Was I in the JobStreet breach?

JobStreet is a Malaysian jobs website. Its breach happened in March 2012 and exposed 3,883,455 accounts. It included passwords, government ID numbers, dates of birth and home addresses and 8 other kinds of detail. If you had an account there by March 2012, 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?

JobStreet data was part of a large set of breached Malaysian records that was put up for sale on a forum and reported in October 2017. Dates in the data suggest the JobStreet breach happened in March 2012. The set later became free to download and held job seekers' names, birth dates, genders, phone numbers, street addresses and passwords.

Organisation
JobStreet, a Malaysian jobs website (jobstreet.com)
When it happened
March 2012
Added to monitored breach databases
30 October 2017
Accounts in the data
3,883,455
What was exposed
passwords, government ID numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, genders, general locations, marital statuses, names, nationalities and usernames

The breach record cites a public report on jobstreet.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.

  • Government ID numbersgovernment ID numbers

    With an ID number, someone can try to open credit, claim benefits or file a tax return in your name.

  • 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.

  • 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 detailsgenders, general locations, marital statuses, names, nationalities and usernames

    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 JobStreet 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. 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.

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 2012

All breaches Breaches from 2012 Breaches that exposed passwordsBreaches that exposed phone numbersBreaches that exposed home addressesBreaches that exposed dates of birthBreaches that exposed government ID numbers