Scam Busters | Have I Been Pwned? What It Means & How to Check if Your Info Was Stolen

 


🕵️‍♂️ Scam Busters | Have I Been Pwned? What It Means & How to Check if Your Info Was Stolen

Brought to you by iSkyNews.com

Ever heard the term “pwned”?
It’s not a typo—it’s actually a big deal when it comes to your online safety.


💥 Wait… What Does “Pwned” Even Mean?

“Pwned” (pronounced poned) comes from old-school video games where players would say “I owned you!” Except… they typed it too fast and hit “p” instead of “o.” 🤷‍♂️ The word stuck—and now it’s used in cybersecurity.

So if you’ve been pwned, it means your personal info—like your email, passwords, or phone number—got leaked in a data breach. Think: hackers stealing data from major companies and dumping it online.


🧠 Who Made Have I Been Pwned—and Why?

Cybersecurity pro Troy Hunt created HaveIBeenPwned.com to help regular people check if their info has been exposed in any known data leaks.

It’s totally free, super simple to use, and covers massive breaches from places like Adobe, LinkedIn, Dropbox, and more.


🔓 How Do Data Breaches Happen?

Basically, hackers break into company systems and steal customer data. That data—like your email, passwords, or even credit card numbers—can end up:

  • Sold on the dark web
  • Shared in hacker forums
  • Or leaked publicly for anyone to grab


👀 How to Check If You’ve Been Pwned

  1. Head to HaveIBeenPwned.com
  2. Type in your email or phone number
  3. Hit “pwned?”

The site will instantly show if your info was in any known breaches—plus which companies were involved and what kind of data was exposed.


🧰 Quick Tips to Protect Yourself

🔐 Use strong, unique passwords – A password manager can make this easy.
📲 Turn on 2FA (two-factor authentication) – Extra step, extra safety.
✉️ Don’t click shady emails – Even if they say “your account was breached,” double-check first.
🧹 Delete old accounts – No use keeping a digital graveyard of risk.
📉 Keep an eye on your credit – Especially if financial info was leaked.


🧠 Bottom Line

Getting pwned isn’t your fault—it means a company you trusted didn’t keep your info safe. But you can take control now.

🎯 Go check your email right now at HaveIBeenPwned.com
It takes 10 seconds and could save you a massive headache later.


📰 iSkyNews Scam Busters
Fighting scammers, leaks, and fraud—so you don’t have to.

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