Harvard University data breach
Was I affected?
Harvard University confirmed a breach affecting about 850,537 email addresses, exposing names, email addresses, phone numbers and addresses. You may be affected if you are a Harvard alumnus, donor, parent of a student or in its fundraising records and received Harvard's email about the incident.
| Announced | Nov 22, 2025 |
|---|---|
| When it happened | November 18, 2025 |
| Email addresses exposed | 850,537 |
| Data exposed | Names, Email addresses, Phone numbers, Addresses, Dates of birth and Other details |
| Status | Confirmed by the company or a regulator filing |
What happened
Harvard said a voice-phishing call on November 18, 2025 let an outsider into systems used by its Alumni Affairs and Development office. The data covers alumni, donors, parents and some students and staff: contact details, donation records, event attendance and biographical information, but not SSNs, passwords or card numbers. A copy published later held about 851,000 unique email addresses.
What should I do?
- Treat emails, texts and calls that mention Harvard, donations or reunions as suspect; don't click links or share codes, and contact the company through its official app or website.
- Verify any donation or 'update your record' request by calling Harvard's alumni office at a number from harvard.edu.
- Watch for targeted scams that cite your giving history or family members.
Check whether your email address is in this breach on Have I Been Pwned (breach data from haveibeenpwned.com, CC BY 4.0).
Check the other services you use →
Sources
- Harvard University discloses data breach affecting alumni, donors · BleepingComputer (news)
- Harvard reports vishing breach exposing alumni and donor contact data · Security Affairs (news)