CRITICAL SEVERITYSocial

Wattpad Data Breach

Verified by ObscureIQ Intelligence

9.0Severity
268.8MRecords
11Data Fields
2020Year

Impact & Downstream Threats

This breach carries critical risk due to the nature of exposed data fields and the scale of affected records.

Primary downstream threats:
  • Credential stuffing against reused passwords across other platforms
  • Identity verification bypass using name + date of birth combination
  • Targeted phishing campaigns using exposed email addresses
  • Doxxing risk from physical address exposure
  • Social media account targeting and impersonation

Breach Intelligence

EntityWattpad
OrganizationPrivate Company • Canada
Breach DateJune 2020
DisclosureJuly 2020
Records Exposed~268.8M
Attack VectorMisconfiguration
SourceHave I Been Pwned / DataBreach.com / ObscureIQ intelligence
StatusConfirmed

Executive Summary

What happened in the , Wattpad, Breach? November 30th 2024, 7:00 pm EST, In June 2020, popular storytelling platform , Wattpad, suffered a major , data breach, that compromised the personal information of millions of users. Initially, the stolen database was quietly sold in private circles before eventually being leaked publicly on a well-known hacking forum, escalating concerns among users and cybersecurity experts alike.,

, The Wattpad breach involved a wide range of sensitive user information, including usernames, email addresses, birth dates, and gender data. Some reports also indicated that password data was part of the breach, although Wattpad later clarified that all affected passwords were encrypted. Nevertheless, the scale of the exposure — impacting an estimated , 268 million user records, — made it one of the largest security incidents involving a creative content platform to date.,

, Following the breach, Wattpad launched an internal investigation and worked with external security firms to assess the extent of the damage. The company reassured users that financial information, such as credit card numbers, had not been compromised.,

, The precise method used to compromise Wattpad’s systems remains unclear.,

About Wattpad

Online storytelling platform.

Private CompanyCanadawattpad.com

Data Points Exposed

Verified fields in the released dataset:
Dates of birth
Email addresses
Full names
Gender
IP addresses
Passwords
Social media profiles
Usernames

Dark Web Verification

Status: Confirmed

  • Dataset containing approximately 268.8M records identified in breach intelligence sources.
  • The data is indexed and searchable across breach notification platforms.

Recommended Actions

⚠️ Do not assume this is low sensitivity.

Change Passwords
Change your Wattpad password immediately and any account sharing similar credentials.
Expect Targeted Phishing
Watch for emails referencing this breach. Verify communications through official channels.
Secure Email & Enable MFA
Email compromise is often the first pivot point. Enable multi-factor authentication.
Monitor Financial Accounts
Watch for unauthorized credit applications and suspicious activity.
Check Your Exposure
ObscureIQ clients: this breach is indexed in your profile.
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in the Wattpad data breach?

In June 2020, Wattpad experienced a data breach that exposed approximately 268.8M records containing personal information.

What data was exposed?

The exposed data includes fields such as date of birth, email address, full name, gender, geographic locations.

How many records were affected?

Approximately 268.8M records were affected based on current breach intelligence.

Protect Yourself

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ObscureIQ Advisory

We combine proprietary dark web access with commercial and restricted breach intelligence to verify exposure and assess real-world risk.

If you are:
  • A public-facing individual
  • A high-profile executive
  • A customer of Wattpad
  • Or concerned about credential reuse
Services
AuditsWipesThreat MonitoringTraining

Classification Tags

MisconfigurationSocialEmailPasswordsDOB

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