Scams & online safetyEasy2 min read

Has your email been in a data breach? Using Have I Been Pwned

Sometimes a company is hacked and customer details are leaked. A free website called Have I Been Pwned lets you check whether your email address was caught up. It is run by a respected security researcher and is widely trusted.

What a breach means

A breach means information such as email addresses, and sometimes passwords, was copied from a company's systems. It does not mean your own computer was hacked. It does mean you should change the password for that company.

How to check safely

Open your web browser and type haveibeenpwned.com into the address bar yourself.
Enter your email address in the box and press the search button.
Read the result. Green means no breach was found. Red lists the companies that lost your details.

Never type your password into the email box. The site only needs your email address. It will never ask for your password to check an email.

If your email was found

Change the password on each site listed.
If you used the same password anywhere else, change it there too.
Turn on two-step sign-in where it is offered.
Be extra careful with emails and texts, because scammers may use leaked details to sound convincing.

Do not be alarmed

Most people find their email in at least one breach. It is very common and often involves old accounts. The important thing is that you act on it.

Staying alert

You can sign up on the site for a free alert if your email appears in a future breach. You will get an email from the site to confirm it first.

Be careful of copies

Only use the real address haveibeenpwned.com. Fake lookalike sites exist. Never trust a message that says "you were hacked, click here to check".

Report problems

Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. If you lose money, ring your bank on 159 and report it to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) on 0300 123 2040, or Police Scotland on 101.

When to get more help

If you find several breaches and are not sure where to start, we can help you sort your passwords out one at a time.

Did this help? If you are still stuck, email Vision Tech and tell us what you can see on the screen. Menus and button names can differ slightly between versions and makes. If something does not match, stop and ask rather than guess.