Data breach · October 2015

Was I in the Patreon breach?

Patreon is a crowdfunding site. Its breach happened in October 2015 and exposed 2,330,382 accounts. It included passwords, payment histories, home addresses and private messages and 2 other kinds of detail. If you had an account there by October 2015, 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?

Patreon, a crowdfunding site, was hacked in October 2015 and a large amount of its data was made public. Most of it was database records. They held email addresses, millions of private messages and password hashes made with bcrypt.

Organisation
Patreon, a crowdfunding site (patreon.com)
When it happened
October 2015
Added to monitored breach databases
2 October 2015
Accounts in the data
2,330,382
What was exposed
passwords, payment histories, home addresses, private messages, email addresses and website activity
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.

  • Bank and money detailspayment histories

    Account numbers, balances and payment history let a scam call or email quote facts that only your bank should know.

  • 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.

  • Messages you wroteprivate messages

    Private messages can hold personal details, and their exposure can be used to pressure or embarrass you.

  • 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 detailswebsite activity

    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 Patreon 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. 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.

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. Assume your messages can be read

  • Think about what you wrote on Patreon and who it names. Warn anyone whose details you shared.
  • If someone threatens to publish what you wrote unless you pay, do not pay. Keep the messages and report it to your local police.

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 2015

All breaches Breaches from 2015 Breaches that exposed passwordsBreaches that exposed home addressesBreaches that exposed bank and money detailsBreaches that exposed private messages