The Wattpad data breach affected a significant number of users, exposing personal information that can be used for identity theft, phishing, and fraud. If you've ever had an account or relationship with Wattpad, it's worth checking whether your data was involved.
What Happened
Wattpad, the online story-sharing and social reading platform, was breached in mid-2020. The full user database, reportedly containing around 268 million records, was leaked and widely shared on hacking forums shortly after the breach was discovered.
What Data Was Exposed
The leaked database included usernames, email addresses, bcrypt-hashed passwords, genders, birthdates, and in some cases, links to social media profiles connected to Wattpad accounts.
Why This Still Matters
Even breaches from years ago remain a risk today. Stolen data is sold, traded, and reused indefinitely. Credentials from old breaches fuel credential stuffing attacks — automated attempts to reuse your email and password combination on other sites. If you reused a password anywhere, one old breach can compromise several current accounts.
How to Check If You Were Affected
Use our free breach checker below — enter your email and we'll scan it against known breach databases instantly, no signup required.
What to Do If You Were Affected
- Change any reused password immediately, starting with your most sensitive accounts.
- Enable two-factor authentication wherever it's offered.
- Monitor financial accounts closely if payment or banking data was involved.
- Watch for phishing — breach data is often used to craft convincing scam messages.
- Freeze your credit if your SSN or government ID number was exposed.
👉 Check your own exposure in 30 seconds → scan your email free.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Wattpad data breach happen?
The breach occurred and was discovered in mid-2020, with the full stolen database — around 268 million records — circulating on hacking forums shortly after.
What data was stolen in the Wattpad breach?
Usernames, email addresses, bcrypt-hashed passwords, genders, birthdates, and in some cases linked social media profile information were exposed in the leaked database.
Are bcrypt-hashed Wattpad passwords safe?
Bcrypt is a strong hashing algorithm that makes passwords significantly harder to crack than weaker methods like MD5 or SHA-1. However, weak or commonly used passwords can still be cracked given enough time and computing power.
How do I check if my Wattpad account was affected?
Use the free checker at Scan My Shadow with your email address. If it appears, change your Wattpad password, especially if you have reused it on other sites.
Was Wattpad particularly risky for younger users?
Wattpad has a large teenage user base, and the exposure of birthdates and other personal details alongside usernames raises particular privacy concerns for younger users who may not realize their data was included.