Email messages leaked: what it means and what to do
Risk level: high. Can you change it: no. Found in 8 breaches in this directory.
What this data is
The content of emails you sent or received, including subject lines, message bodies, attachments and contacts, exposed through a compromised mailbox, an email provider or a company that kept copies.
The risk on its own
An inbox is a record of your whole life: bank statements, scanned IDs, tax documents, medical letters, travel bookings, private conversations and account notifications. It also shows which services you use, because every account sends email. That is why this class is high risk even when no password leaked.
The risk combined with other data
Linked to your identity, the messages give criminals what they need for impersonation and invoice fraud: who you deal with, how you write, what you owe and when it is due. Attachments such as passport scans and payslips support identity fraud. If the mailbox itself is still compromised, the attacker can also reset the passwords on your other accounts.
How criminals use it
A criminal reads an ongoing thread with your builder or conveyancer and sends a fake invoice with new bank details at exactly the right moment.
A scanned passport or licence found in an attachment is used for identity fraud.
Private conversations are quoted in an extortion attempt or published to embarrass you.
Account emails reveal which bank and services you use, and those logins are targeted next.
What to do now
If your own mailbox was accessed, change its password, sign out all sessions and turn on two-factor authentication. Review Your devices in Google Account security, or Sign-in activity in your Microsoft account.
Look for forwarding rules and filters you did not create: in Gmail check Settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP, then Filters and Blocked Addresses; in Outlook check Settings, Mail, Rules and Forwarding.
Search the mailbox for attachments containing ID, tax or bank documents, and treat those details as exposed.
Warn anyone you have ongoing payments with that any change to bank details must be confirmed by phone.
Change passwords on accounts whose signup or reset emails were in the leaked messages.
Delete old emails with sensitive attachments you no longer need, after saving copies somewhere secure.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if someone is still reading my email?
Check sign-in activity and the device list in your account security settings, look for forwarding rules you did not create, and sign out of all sessions after changing your password.
Should I close my email account?
Usually not, because so many other accounts depend on it. Secure it properly instead. If you do switch, move every important account to the new address before closing the old one.
What in my inbox is most dangerous to leak?
Scanned ID documents, tax and payroll records, bank statements and live conversations about payments. Deal with those first.
Breach data sourced from Have I Been Pwned, used under CC BY 4.0. Additional breach metadata provided by XposedOrNot. DataExposed is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either.