Post by Category : Announcements

Freecycle Data Breach

September 1, 2023 fiona

On August 30th The Freecycle Network / Freecycle.org became aware of a data breach on Freecycle.org. As a result we are reaching out to to members to ask that you change your Freecycle.org password as soon as possible. We very much apologize for the inconvenience.

Further information on the breach and on how to change your password may be found here:

https://freecycle.helpscoutdocs.com/article/319-data-breach-august-2023

[and there is a “?” icon on that page if you have further questions for our Help Team]

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.

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 (U.S.) 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

Again, we thank you for your generous gifting locally and apologize for the hassle.

Sincerely yours,

Deron Beal, Executive Director

Announcements, International

Freecycle Low-Risk Data Breach

April 22, 2023 fiona

A data breach on our site temporarily left members’ email addresses exposed. Fortunately passwords were not exposed, no other personal information was compromised and the breach has been closed (3/23) and reported to the U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

What this means for you: While most email providers do a good job at filtering out spam, you may notice an uptick. 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

Finally, we want to emphasize that passwords were not exposed in this breach. While you don’t need to change your password at this time, it’s a good idea to regularly update your passwords.

I apologize for this breach personally. Please know that we have extensive firewalls and security measures in place to protect Freecycle.org and its members and that this low-risk breach was our first in nearly 20 years. Know that the breach has been fixed and the private data potentially accessible was limited solely to the email addresses themselves.

-Deron Beal, Executive Director, The Freecycle Network

If you have further questions, you may visit this page: https://freecycle.helpscoutdocs.com/article/312-data-breach

Or, reach out to us at privacy@freecycle.org.

"about us", Announcements, Big Time News, UK

DON’T BE A VICTIM: NEVER PAY FOR DELIVERY OF A FREECYCLE ITEM

November 14, 2022 fiona

Don’t be a victim. Never pay for delivery of a Freecycle item.

The incidence of scams is on the increase, on Freecycle and elsewhere. Here’s how you can identify a likely scam:

The offering member claims to have recently moved or posted to the wrong Town group and they need money to send the item to you.
The post contains a photo of an email address.
The subject of the post uses unusual punctuation or odd symbols, such as ~.ṀusicaĮ Įnstruments~
The offer seems too good to be true, especially if the member has recently joined Freecycle or posted the item to multiple towns that aren’t near each other.

Any time you find a suspicious post, or are asked to pay for an item or delivery of an item, please use the “Report” button on the post detail page, or send a message to your town moderators. Please don’t become a victim of another delivery scam!

Thanks for helping keep scammers out of Freecycle!

Announcements, Interesting Stuff, International