Reddit Users Share Fake Ashley Madison Leaked Lists, Tips For Finding Out If Your Name Is Hacked

Those closely following the Ashley Madison hack are turning to Reddit on a daily or hourly basis for updates. Recently, Reddit users discussed receiving spam emails with their Ashley Madison login and user names in the subject line, quite a disconcerting bit of email to receive, as reported by the Inquisitr.

On Sunday, July 26, the Ashley Madison scandal began receiving its own daily Reddit thread, in between scary threats of suicide plans laid out on Reddit and hopeful messages from Reddit users telling each other to hang on and not panic. Talk of leaked Ashley Madison lists available for download have all proven to be fake by intrepid Reddit technical experts as of this writing.

Even those who say they’ve searched the “dark web,” as reported by Metro, or torrent sites have come up with nil in terms of real hacked Ashley Madison user info. The Reddit user named RandomDoubleX reports finding leaked files with names such as “Ashley Madison Users” that are only nefarious lists of files likely containing malware.

“Guys breathe. I just checked some of the torrent sites I lurk from time to time and they already have over 50 different files for ‘AshleyMadisonUsers’ list file. Before you go all crazy, they are all fake infected lists. So why do you think that any future leak would be considered more ‘real’? The only thing that would throw this off is if Ashley Madion would ‘vet’ the real leak as real (which they won’t do).”

Another Reddit user under the moniker never_meant2harm_ advises those fearing their passwords and user IDs have been leaked online to search for that information using Google to see if it returns any lists of real leaked Ashley Madison users. Therefore, if a person’s Ashley Madison user name was “Light480” and their password was “Thistooshallpass877,” the advice is to place those terms in Google — independently and together — to see what arises.

“Google your password and see what happens.”

Plenty of the advice given to worried Ashley Madison users is psychological and practical, like that from Reddit user strandgrim, who uses the scandal to advise others to appreciate their loved ones.

“We haven’t heard from Ashley Madison since Monday. Silence is sometimes golden. Everyone – relax and enjoy the weekend with your families. Show your significant other some appreciation. Don’t EVER be as stupid as we all were. Get on with life.”

Practical information comes from SickToMyStomach67, who tells Reddit readers worried about the Ashley Madison hacking to secure their online identities — because the biggest fallout from the hack could be identity theft. Change passwords, cellphone numbers, remove photos, etc., advises that Reddit writer.

“Take it as a life changing experience. As far as your significant other is concerned, you being a changed person can only strengthen that relationship. Start paying attention and get back into life; enjoy the little things that you once ignored. Ashley Madison had part of the equation right, life is, indeed, short. Don’t spend it being the person that you were. Turn it around and do something about it.”

Finally, Plasticgenius offered what might represent the best bit of advice for Reddit users checking the latest comments on the Ashley Madison hack thread and refreshing Google News every 15 minutes for more Ashley Madison hacking news reports. That advice included taking a break from the media for a period of time. Indeed, when significant news about the hacking breaks, it might hit Reddit first — but it will surely eventually spread to mainstream media, as it did on Monday.

[Image via Getty Images/Sean Gallup]