Paidwork paidwork.com Paidwork data breach: what happened and what to do
In March 2026, hackers claimed data from the gig platform Paidwork and listed it for sale. About 11GB was posted publicly in July. Have I Been Pwned counts 23.3 million email addresses, with bank account numbers, dates of birth, addresses and bcrypt password hashes.
View all 13,115 breaches- Breach date
- 29 Mar 2026
- Affected
- 23,272,765
- Data exposed
- Bank account numbers, Dates of birth, Device information, Education levels, Email addresses, Financial transactions, Genders, IP addresses, Names, Passwords, Personal interests, Phone numbers, Physical addresses, Profile photos
- Verified
- Yes
- Last updated
Source: Have I Been Pwned (CC BY 4.0)
What happened
Paidwork is a platform where people earn small payments for tasks such as surveys and app installs. In March 2026, hackers claimed they had taken data from it and listed that data for sale. In July, almost 11GB of it was posted publicly, according to Help Net Security. Have I Been Pwned added the breach on July 19.
The data covers the operation of the platform: user profiles, banking information and payout history for workers. SecurityWeek reported that Paidwork later gave it a statement, and when the stories ran the company had not publicly acknowledged the breach on its own site. A seller had claimed about 22 million users.
How many people
Have I Been Pwned counted 23,272,765 unique email addresses, about 23.3 million. The seller's own claim was lower, at 22 million, so use the Have I Been Pwned number.
What was exposed
This is one of the broader leaks in the batch. Have I Been Pwned lists bank account numbers, dates of birth, device information, education levels, email addresses, financial transactions, genders, IP addresses, names, passwords, personal interests, phone numbers, physical addresses and profile photos.
The passwords were stored as bcrypt hashes. A hash is a scrambled version of a password, and bcrypt is a slow, well regarded method, so strong passwords are hard to crack. Short or common ones can still be recovered, and a cracked password is a usable one.
What that lets criminals do
Bank account numbers and payout history show where someone is paid and how much. Together with a name, address and date of birth, that is enough for a convincing call posing as your bank or as Paidwork. Cracked passwords can be tried on your email, PayPal and other accounts, because many people reuse them.
Phone numbers and IP addresses add to the picture. A workers' platform also attracts "job" scams, so expect offers of paid tasks that ask you to move to a chat app or pay a fee.
The company's response
Paidwork had not publicly acknowledged the breach when the coverage ran. SecurityWeek says the company later provided a statement, but we have no confirmed details of its investigation or of any notification to users.
If you used Paidwork
Assume your profile and payout details may be in the data. Change your Paidwork password and any other account where you used the same one. Watch the bank account that Paidwork paid you into, and be cautious about messages that mention payouts or tasks.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Change your Paidwork password and any reused one
Passwords leaked as bcrypt hashes, which short or common passwords can still lose. Change it on Paidwork and anywhere else you used it, and use a password manager to make each one unique.
- 2
Turn on two-factor login
Use an authenticator app on your email and financial accounts first. It blocks most takeovers even when a password is known.
- 3
Watch your bank account and tell your bank
Bank account numbers and payout history leaked. Check statements for unfamiliar debits, and ask your bank about extra verification on the account Paidwork paid into.
- 4
Expect calls, texts and fake job offers
Messages that mention Paidwork, payouts or paid tasks are likely scams. Don't pay a fee to get work, and don't move to a private chat with a stranger.
- 5
Freeze your credit if you want extra protection
Dates of birth, names and addresses are in the data. A free freeze at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion stops most new accounts being opened in your name.
- 6
Check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches
Run a free Serus scan. Serus monitors breach databases and the dark web and alerts you when your data appears. It can't take data out of a breach, but it shows you what leaked and what to do about it.
Frequently asked
Was I affected by the Paidwork breach?
If you had a Paidwork account, possibly. Search your email on Have I Been Pwned, which holds 23.3 million email addresses from the data.
What was exposed?
Have I Been Pwned lists bank account numbers, dates of birth, device information, education levels, email addresses, financial transactions, genders, IP addresses, names, passwords, personal interests, phone numbers, physical addresses and profile photos.
Should I change my password?
Yes. Passwords were stored as bcrypt hashes, which are hard but not impossible to crack. Change your Paidwork password and any account that shares it.
Were my bank details leaked?
Have I Been Pwned lists bank account numbers and financial transactions among the exposed data. Check your statements and tell your bank if you see anything you don't recognize.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
