MediaWorks mediaworks.co.nz MediaWorks data breach: what happened and what to do
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Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This page is free and based on official sources.
MediaWorks, a New Zealand media company, had a database of competition entrants published online in March 2024. Have I Been Pwned lists 162,710 accounts with names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and genders. Some people then got ransom emails.
View all 13,118 breaches- Breach date
- 15 Mar 2023
- Affected
- 162,710
- Data exposed
- Dates of birth, Email addresses, Genders, Phone numbers, Physical addresses
- Verified
- Yes
- Last updated
Source: Have I Been Pwned (CC BY 4.0)
What happened
MediaWorks is a New Zealand radio and media company. In March 2024, rows of data from its online competitions were posted on a hacking forum. Have I Been Pwned lists 162,710 unique email addresses from the leak. MediaWorks said the information had been published online, and reported that around 403,000 people were notified, because many people entered several competitions.
Sources checked: haveibeenpwned.com, rnz.co.nz, 1news.co.nz
Last verified against the official page:
What was exposed
The data came from people who filled out online competition forms. It included names, physical addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and genders, plus the answers people gave to competition questions. MediaWorks' chief executive said passwords, identity documents and financial details were not in the database.
The ransom emails
Some people whose details were in the leak later got emails demanding payment, in return for deleting their data. MediaWorks told people not to pay, because paying doesn't guarantee deletion. RNZ covered the ransom emails.
What that lets criminals do
A name, phone number and date of birth together are enough to make a call or text sound like it comes from someone who knows you. Expect scam messages that mention competitions or prizes.
What to do
You don't need to pay anyone. Focus on spotting scam messages and on keeping the details that leaked from being enough on their own.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Don't pay a ransom demand
If you get an email claiming to hold your data and asking for money, don't pay and don't reply. MediaWorks advised the same, because payment doesn't guarantee your data is deleted. Delete the message or report it as phishing in your email app.
- 2
Expect phishing that mentions the breach
Emails, texts and calls that quote your name or a real purchase look more convincing. Don't click links or open attachments in unexpected messages; go to the company's site yourself instead. The FTC explains how to spot phishing.
- 3
Be careful with calls and texts that know your details
Your phone number, address and date of birth leaked together, so a caller may sound like they know you. Hang up and call back using a number from the organization's own website. Never share one-time codes. The FTC lists common phishing and imposter tactics.
- 4
Check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches
Search your email address on Have I Been Pwned. A free Serus scan also checks breach databases and the dark web and alerts you when your details appear. Serus can't remove data from a breach, so the steps above matter most.
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the MediaWorks breach?
Have I Been Pwned lists 162,710 email addresses. Search yours there. If you entered MediaWorks competitions, you may also have been notified directly.
What was exposed in the MediaWorks breach?
Names, physical addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, genders and answers to competition questions. MediaWorks said passwords, identity documents and financial details were not in the database.
Should I pay if I get a ransom email?
No. MediaWorks advised people not to pay, because payment doesn't guarantee deletion.
Sources
- Have I Been Pwned: MediaWorks
- haveibeenpwned.com/Breach/MediaWorks
- rnz.co.nz/news/national/512042/mediaworks-data-breach-hackers-email-victims-demanding-820
- 1news.co.nz/2024/03/22/mediaworks-hack-information-published-online-company-says
- consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams
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