Risk level: low. Can you change it: yes. Found in 4 breaches in this directory.
What this data is
An informal name you added to a profile, such as a shortened first name, a childhood name or the name friends use, separate from your username and legal name.
The risk on its own
This is low risk. A nickname cannot sign in to anything, and on most sites it was already shown publicly. It adds little that a stranger could not guess.
The risk combined with other data
It becomes useful to someone else when it is unusual. A distinctive nickname can connect your real name to forum or gaming accounts that use it, and childhood nicknames are sometimes the answer to a security question. Scammers impersonating friends or family also use it to sound familiar.
How criminals use it
A message that opens with the name only your friends use makes a family emergency scam more believable.
A search for an unusual nickname links a private gaming account to your real identity.
An old account protected by the question what was your childhood nickname is reset by whoever read the leak.
What to do now
If the nickname is the answer to a security question anywhere, change that answer to a random phrase stored in your password manager.
Stop using the same distinctive nickname on accounts you want kept separate from your real name.
Search the nickname in quotes to see which accounts it already ties together.
Put your effort into the password and email address from the same breach, which matter far more.
Frequently asked questions
Is a leaked nickname a security risk?
Rarely. It matters only when the nickname is unusual enough to link accounts or has been used as a security answer.
Should I change my nickname on the site?
You can, and it costs nothing, but the leaked copy stays the same. It is more useful to stop reusing it where you want privacy.
Can someone impersonate me with my nickname?
It helps them sound familiar to friends, so a family code word for money requests is a better defence than trying to hide the nickname.
Breaches that exposed this data
Zoosk (2020): 2020-01-12, 24M accounts, Dates of birth, Drinking habits, Education levels, Email addresses, Ethnicities, Family structure
MagicDuel: 2023-08-02, 138K accounts, Email addresses, IP addresses, Nicknames, Passwords
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.