Avvo
HIGH RISKData breach — December 2019
In approximately December 2019, an alleged data breach of the lawyer directory service Avvo was published to an online hacking forum and used in an extortion scam (it's possible the exposure dates back earlier than that). The data contained 4.1M unique email addresses alongside SHA-1 hashes, most likely representing user passwords. Multiple attempts at contacting Avvo over the course of a week were unsuccessful and the authenticity of the data was eventually verified with common Avvo and HIBP subscribers.
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What happened in the Avvo data breach?
In approximately December 2019, an alleged data breach of the lawyer directory service Avvo was published to an online hacking forum and used in an extortion scam (it's possible the exposure dates back earlier than that). The data contained 4.1M unique email addresses alongside SHA-1 hashes, most likely representing user passwords. Multiple attempts at contacting Avvo over the course of a week were unsuccessful and the authenticity of the data was eventually verified with common Avvo and HIBP subscribers.
The exposed data included 2 types of personal information. Because passwords were exposed, users who reused their password on other sites are at particular risk. Learn more about what a data breach means for you.
Quick answer — was Avvo hacked?
Yes. Avvo was breached in December 2019. The breach exposed 4,101,101 records including email addresses, passwords. This breach has been independently verified. If your email was involved, your data may still be at risk today. Check if you were affected.
Why was the Avvo breach so dangerous?
The Avvo breach exposed 4,101,101 records — that is 4.1M people whose personal data is now circulating on the dark web. The combination of email addresses, passwords makes this a high-risk breach that requires immediate action.
Because passwords were exposed, attackers can use credential stuffing to automatically test your Avvo password against hundreds of other websites. If you reused your password anywhere, those accounts are now at risk. Read more about what happens to your data after a breach.
Don't wait to find out — check if your email was exposed in this breach now.
What data was stolen in the Avvo breach?
Email addresses — used for phishing attacks and credential stuffing against your other accounts
Passwords — can be used to access your accounts directly or cracked to reveal your actual password
Is the Avvo breach still dangerous in 2026?
Yes. Stolen data from the Avvo breach remains dangerous years after the incident. Research shows that over 65% of stolen credentials from older breaches have never been changed by the account holders. Attackers routinely compile data from multiple breaches to build complete profiles, and credentials from 2019 are still actively used in credential stuffing attacks today.
Personal information like email addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth never expire. Even if you changed your Avvo password, the other exposed data can be combined with information from other breaches to target you. Learn more about how long stolen data stays dangerous.
Frequently asked about the Avvo breach
Approximately 4,101,101 user records were exposed in the Avvo breach in December 2019.
Yes. Leaked credentials are actively used in credential stuffing attacks years after a breach. If you reused your Avvo password elsewhere and haven't changed it, those accounts remain at risk today.
Enter your email in the free checker on EmailLeaked. We scan 12 billion+ breach records including the full Avvo dataset and tell you instantly whether your email was exposed and what data was taken.
Change your Avvo password immediately, change any other account where you used the same password, enable two-factor authentication on all important accounts, and monitor for phishing emails over the next 90 days.
Who was affected by the Avvo breach?
The Avvo data breach affected approximately 4,101,101 users who had accounts with the service. While not the largest breach on record, it still represents a significant number of compromised accounts in our database of 970+ known breaches.
If you ever created an account with Avvo or used their services, your data may have been included in this breach. Check your email now to find out. You can also read our guide on what to do immediately after a data breach.
If your email was in the Avvo breach
Change your Avvo password immediately
Go to Avvo and change your password right now. Use a strong, unique password that you have never used anywhere else.
Change any account sharing that password
If you used the same password on other sites, change it on every one of them. Attackers test stolen credentials on hundreds of popular sites within hours.
Enable two-factor authentication
Turn on 2FA on Avvo and every important account. Even if your password is known, attackers cannot get in without the second factor.
Check your other accounts for this breach
Run a full email check to see every breach your email appears in — not just this one.
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