# Ashley Madison data breach - You going to check? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 19, 2015, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230 "2015-08-19T00:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/41 "2015-08-20T15:18:25Z")
No. I can understand checking out, say, the Fappening images to see what people were talking about or just to see what these gorgeous people looked like naked. But here it’s just raw data. There’s nothing to see. If something does get reported, you’ve got all the information right there–no need to look for yourself. And, unless you have an odd fetish, you’re not going to get off on it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/42 "2015-08-20T15:20:07Z")
I never even _heard_ of Ashley Madison until the news broke. Besides, I’ve never cheated and I’ve only had a spouse for five days anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/43 "2015-08-20T16:06:27Z")
While I am relieved to find out I’m not on Ashley Madison’s list, I am horrified to find out I am on Oscar Madison’s list 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/44 "2015-08-20T17:20:37Z")
Think of all the fun the bad guys can have by simply taking any list of emails they’ve harvested from any source whatsoever and putting it out there as “found on Ashley Madison.” It’s funny how many people want to believe bad people behave honestly except at the punch line. Not true in general. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/45 "2015-08-20T17:45:11Z")
I heard of Ashley Madison before the news broke… because they’ve advertised out in the open in the Toronto area. I thought the whole idea was appalling and stupid. It’s definitely evidence that something is very screwed up, so to speak, in some people. If you can’t live up to your marriage vows, change them, or don’t make them in the first place! ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/46 "2015-08-20T18:09:41Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I read an article about this that I’m fairly sure was written by an AM subscriber. He suspects that because the AM list was released to the “dark web,” whatever version of it you find will have been tampered with and will infect your machine with a virus. **Also the data will be flimsy at best because there was no verification process to sign up by email. Anyone could be on that list!** If they didn’t verify accounts, then could people could just enter any email address for their account (e.g [brad.pitt@gmail.com](mailto:brad.pitt@gmail.com)) and it will show up in this database? I know spammers use automated programs to create fake accounts on sites so that they can spam those users (as we sometimes see here on the Dope). When they create the spam account, they sometimes use real email addresses. So if AM didn’t validate the emails, I could easily see many of the emails being entered by spammers or by people just wanting to check out the site and not representing the person who actually owns the email address. It seems there’s also another database with payment information. If someone also has valid payment information associated with their account in that payment database, then I would think it’s very likely it’s actually that person. But probably an email entry alone isn’t enough to say it’s actually that person. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/47 "2015-08-20T18:54:01Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > It seems there’s also another database with payment information. If someone also has valid payment information associated with their account in that payment database, then I would think it’s very likely it’s actually that person. But probably an email entry alone isn’t enough to say it’s actually that person. Correct, but so far it’s only searchable by email, at least on the sites that have been linked here. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/48 "2015-08-20T23:49:44Z")
I saw a screenshot of the purported Duggar evidence; it appears to be copies of credit card charges, with the name and address of the card holder. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/49 "2015-08-21T01:12:36Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > No, I won’t check. This. And I Know I’m not on it. Some lives may be ruined… and some radio hosts might need to learn how to sell cars. Don’t Bitch, Sirius… at least you didn’t have to fire Jared. ---
**Author:** ![seal\_cleaner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@seal\_cleaner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seal_cleaner)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/50 "2015-08-21T01:38:04Z")
Ron White is occasionally funny: “I’m not worried about the Ashley Madison hack, but I hope it’s not a problem for my good friend, also named Ron White.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/51 "2015-08-21T03:30:05Z")
> [@Sam\_Lowry](#): > > I agree. I’m not married, and even if I was, I wouldn’t look on there for my husband’s name. But if someone else told me he was on there, it wouldn’t be immediate grounds for divorce, I’d maybe ask why he was on there, and what he was hoping for, and see if there was a major issue that needed to resolved in our marriage or if it was just boredom/fantasizing. > > [Dan Savage has a good article regarding this](http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/08/19/22724283/so-youre-thinking-about-checking-to-see-if-your-husband-or-wife-was-on-ashely-madison), I hope a lot of people affected read it. > > There are probably a few high profile people, but I think most high profile people are smart enough to use fake info that can’t be traced back to them, or are smart enough to find other ways to have affairs. I figure that part of the duties for the staff of a politician is getting women discreetly in and out of the office or hotel room of the politician, no need to bring Ashley Madison into it. Josh Duggar was on and I think that’s hilarious, but I’d be very surprised if any of the presidential candidates or anyone super high profile was found on it. One off emails are easy to make. Getting credit cards in a different name are not as easy. I don’t know at what part of the sign up process you have to pay. ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/52 "2015-08-21T04:05:10Z")
I had made my own profile on there a couple weeks ago, deleted it after 15 min, then told my husband what I did. He had to ask me what Ashley Madison was:smack: Safe to say he isn’t on there:p ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/53 "2015-08-21T04:12:40Z")
I doubt the wife has heard of Ashley Madison. Don’t think I did before the hacking made the news. But I wonder why so many people would use their real names when looking for an affair. > [@April\_R](#): > > I had made my own profile on there a couple weeks ago, deleted it after 15 min, then told my husband what I did. He had to ask me what Ashley Madison was:smack: > Safe to say he isn’t on there:p Nah, that was just a smokescreen on his part. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/54 "2015-08-21T05:30:40Z")
The website **ZipperJJ** posted says my email address was found! I have never signed up for ashley madison or any other dating or matchmaking websites. I tried my wife, but hers wasn’t found. My email isn’t hacked. Confused and humored by this.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/55 "2015-08-21T11:15:22Z")
I had heard of Ashley Madison years ago. Probably when it first started. They advertised on a radio show or two that I listened to. The premise certainly made the commercials stand out. I thought the site was pretty widely known. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/56 "2015-08-21T12:17:30Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Apparently the identities of cheating spouses using the Ashley Madison site that was hacked have been posted. > > Simple question: You going to check for your spouse? Nope. Hell, we both work full time, and we’ve got an 8 year old. If I wanted to have an affair (fuck that shit, I’ve finally got the life I always wanted to have, no way I’d risk blowing it), _when the hell would I find the time?!_ Needless to say, in the unlikely event that my wife was considering something on the side, she’d face the same challenge. So I’m not exactly worried. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/57 "2015-08-21T12:34:22Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > I Know I’m not on it. You may not be, but your email address may be! You should check. Mine is, and I’m not exactly shocked. My personal email is [first initial][last name]@gmail.com, and for years I’ve been collecting the names of other people with the same first initial and last name who give out that email as their own, who I know about because I get emails directed to them. (Sometimes I even get addresses, phone numbers, and once even a credit card number, of these alter egos of mine.) There are more than a dozen of these people, despite the fact that I’ve got a very uncommon last name. My assumption is that one of these people used my email address to sign up for Ashley Madison, the way they use my email for purchases, job applications, rental agreements, and all sorts of other stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/58 "2015-08-21T12:40:01Z")
> [@Carryon](#): > > While I am relieved to find out I’m not on Ashley Madison’s list, I am horrified to find out I am on Oscar Madison’s list 🙂 I’m pretty sure I on the Dolly Madison list. [sub]Mmmm, chocolate Zingers[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/59 "2015-08-21T12:52:24Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > There are more than a dozen of these people, despite the fact that I’ve got a very uncommon last name. My assumption is that one of these people used my email address to sign up for Ashley Madison, the way they use my email for purchases, job applications, rental agreements, and all sorts of other stuff. But why would they do this (not doubting you, just figuring this out!) when they can just sign up for [fjlijwete24254@yahoo.com](mailto:fjlijwete24254@yahoo.com)? ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2015, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230/60 "2015-08-21T13:20:30Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > But why would they do this (not doubting you, just figuring this out!) when they can just sign up for [fjlijwete24254@yahoo.com](mailto:fjlijwete24254@yahoo.com)? Some websites do simple email address verification to make sure the domain is real. If you enter a completely random email like [fjlijwete24254@aisdfoudo.com](mailto:fjlijwete24254@aisdfoudo.com), it may reject it because it knows there’s no hostname like that. An address like [fjlijwete24254@yahoo.com](mailto:fjlijwete24254@yahoo.com) would likely be accepted because [yahoo.com](http://yahoo.com) is a valid domain, but the people making fake accounts probably don’t understand the difference. They know that [oiuioudf@oaisudfoiu.com](mailto:oiuioudf@oaisudfoiu.com) is rejected, so they use a real address like [jsmith@gmail.com](mailto:jsmith@gmail.com) instead. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashley-madison-data-breach-you-going-to-check/728230.md?page=4)