Ealing

Data leak

On August 30th we became aware of a data breach on Freecycle.org. As a result, we are advising all members to change your passwords as soon as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience. 

There are two ways to reset your password:

Preferred method: Go to My Settings, here: https://www.freecycle.org/home/settings/ and scroll down to the Password Reset section. Enter your new password in both fields. Make sure you do not use this password for any other site. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes. You will be asked to log in with your new password.

If you aren't able to log in or can't get to the Settings page, request a password reset here: https://freecycle.org/login?reset-password. Follow the instructions in the email you receive. If you don't receive an email, check your Spam folder. Mark the message Not Spam, which will move it to your inbox, where you can safely proceed. If you use Gmail, the message may have gone to one of Gmail's default folders, such as Social, Updates, Forums, or Promotions.

If you have difficulty changing your password, click the Contact link at the top of this page, or the orange question mark at the bottom of any page of the Modtools website to send our Help Team volunteers a message. You do not need to be logged in to contact us.

The breach of data includes usernames, User IDs, email addresses and hashed passwords. Because of the exposure of personal passwords we are taking every measure to quickly inform members about the need to change their passwords. If you have used the same password elsewhere, you are well advised to change the password there as well. No other personal information was compromised and the breach has been closed and is being reported to the respective privacy authorities. 

What this means for you: While most email providers do a good job at filtering out spam, you may notice that you receive more spam than usual. As always, please remain vigilant of phishing emails, avoid clicking on links in emails, and don't download attachments unless you are expecting them. 

Here are some useful links to help keep you safe:

https://haveibeenpwned.com/ Find out what past data breaches have involved your personal information. 

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams#report Learn how to recognize phishing emails.

https://www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing#:~:text=Forward%20suspicious%20emails%20to%20report,(%20NCSC%20)%20will%20investigate%20it. Learn how to recognize and report phishing scams in the UK