The Real World therealworld.net The Real World data breach: what happened and what to do
In November 2024, the online course The Real World (formerly Hustler's University) was breached. About 324,000 email addresses were exposed, with usernames and chat logs. Have I Been Pwned says no passwords were included.
View all 13,177 breaches- Breach date
- 15 Nov 2024
- Affected
- 324,382
- Data exposed
- Chat logs, Email addresses, Usernames
- Verified
- Yes
- Last updated
Source: Have I Been Pwned (CC BY 4.0)
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
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.
What happened
In November 2024, the online course known as The Real World, previously Hustler's University, was hacked. The Daily Dot reported that it was given chat logs and user lists from the platform. Have I Been Pwned added the breach on 22 November 2024 and counts 324,382 users, with the exposed data limited to usernames, email addresses and chat logs.
The Daily Dot's reporting also described larger username lists than the email count. Use Have I Been Pwned's figure for the number of exposed email addresses.
Sources checked: haveibeenpwned.com, identitytheft.gov, consumer.ftc.gov
Last verified against the official page:
What was exposed
Three types of data: email addresses, usernames and chat logs. No passwords or payment details are listed in the breach entry.
Why it matters
Chat logs are the sensitive part. Messages written in what felt like a private group can reveal who you are, what you talked about and what you paid for. Someone holding your email address and a username can also look for your other accounts, or send phishing messages that mention the course to look credible.
If you want to keep your membership private, treat any email that mentions it as suspect, and check how much of your real identity is tied to that username elsewhere.
What to do if you were in it
- 1
Review what you wrote in chats
Think about names, locations, workplaces or other personal details you shared in the course's chats. If any of them could be used against you, tighten privacy settings on related accounts.
- 2
Expect phishing that mentions the breach
Scammers use real details to sound legitimate. The FTC advises you not to click links or call numbers in unexpected messages; contact the organization using a number from its official website instead.
- 3
Check where else you use that username
If you use the same username or email on other sites, an attacker can connect those accounts. Consider a separate email address for services like this.
- 4
Change reused passwords and turn on two-factor login
Passwords weren't listed as exposed, but changing any password you reused and adding two-factor login on your main accounts is the FTC's standard advice after a breach.
- 5
Check whether your email or phone is in this and other breaches
Serus runs a free scan against breach databases and the dark web and alerts you if your email or phone number shows up. Serus can't remove data from a breach, but it tells you when to change a password or watch for phishing.
Timeline
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The breach happened
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Added to Have I Been Pwned
Frequently asked
Was I affected by The Real World breach?
Search your email on Have I Been Pwned. It lists 324,382 users in this breach. Serus's free scan also checks breach databases for your email.
What was exposed?
Usernames, email addresses and chat logs, according to Have I Been Pwned.
Were passwords leaked?
Have I Been Pwned lists no passwords for this breach. Change any password you reused anyway, to be safe.
Sources
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll re-check it.
