Social connections leaked: what it means and what to do
Risk level: medium. Can you change it: no. Found in 5 breaches in this directory.
What this data is
Lists of your friends, followers, contacts, groups or professional connections on a social, dating, gaming or networking platform.
The risk on its own
Connection lists reveal your social graph: who you know, who you trust and which communities you belong to. They can expose relationships or group memberships you preferred to keep private. The people on the list may be targeted as well.
The risk combined with other data
With your name, photo and profile details, social connections make impersonation scams highly convincing. A scammer can copy your account and message your real friends, or pose as a mutual friend to approach you. It also helps attackers map organisations and target colleagues.
How criminals use it
A cloned profile using your name and photo messages your friends asking for emergency money.
A scammer poses as a mutual friend to earn your trust before sending a phishing link.
Membership of sensitive groups is used to out or harass you.
An attacker maps your work connections to target the finance team.
What to do now
Set friends and connection lists to private on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Warn close contacts that someone may impersonate you, and ask them to verify money requests by phone.
Search for duplicate accounts using your name and photo and report them.
Leave or hide groups that reveal sensitive affiliations.
Turn on two-factor authentication on social accounts to prevent real account takeover.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my friends list matter?
It shows scammers who trusts you, which makes impersonation and phishing much easier.
Should I tell my friends about the breach?
Yes, especially older relatives and anyone likely to send money. A short warning can prevent a scam.
Can I hide my connections?
Most major platforms let you limit who sees friends, followers or connections in privacy settings.
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.