The Crunchbase Scrape 2016 Exposed 71K Business Contacts

HEROIC analysts identified the Crunchbase Scrape 2016 while reviewing datasets circulating in underground data-sharing communities. The scrape, which occured in September 2016, targeted Crunchbase, a widely used US-based platform that aggregates business and startup information. Rather than exploiting a security flaw, attackers harvested publicly accessible profile data at scale, pulling over 71,000 unique email addresses and phone numbers tied to business professionals and company contacts. The data has since been recieved into broader aggregation dumps, increasing its exposure.

Why Business Email and Phone Number Leaks Are Dangerous

When your professional contact details land in attacker hands, the consequences go beyond spam. Business email addresses are prime targets for spear phishing attacks tailored to your company, role, or industry. Phone numbers open the door to vishing calls where criminals impersonate IT support, bank fraud teams, or vendors. This kind of data is partcularly valuable because business contacts often have access to corporate systems, financial accounts, and sensitive internal information that make successful attacks far more damaging than those targeting personal accounts.

What Was Exposed in the Crunchbase Scrape 2016 Breach

• Email Address
• Phone Number

Why Scraped Business Data Is a Long-Term Threat

Even though this scrape dates back to 2016, the data remains relevant. Business professionals rarely change their work email addresses, and many use the same contact details across platforms for years. Attackers seperate scraped data into targeted lists by industry or job function, then sell or reuse it repeatedly. If your email appeared in this dataset, it may have already been used in credential stuffing campaigns, combined with newer breach data, or sold to spam and fraud operations that are still active today.

How a Database Scrape Works

A data scrape is different from a traditional hack. Instead of breaking through a security barrier, attackers use automated tools to systematically copy information that is technically visible on a website. Platforms like Crunchbase display business profiles, contact details, and company data to visitors. Scrapers send thousands of rapid requests to collect and store this data at scale, assembling large databases that were never meant to be aggregated. The result is a breach-like exposure even without any technical intrusion.

Check If Your Data Was Exposed

HEROIC's free breach scanner checks over 400 billion records from known breaches and scrapes worldwide. Search your email address at HEROIC.com to see if your contact details from the Crunchbase Scrape 2016 or any other incident are out there, and get a full report on what information about you is in circulation.