The Pankhuri Dump: 356,500 User Records Hit the Dark Web in June 2022

In June 2022, Pankhuri, a social live-streaming app for women, had its user database compromised and exposed on underground forums. The breach recieved limited mainstream coverage, but the 356,500 records leaked contained enough personal detail to enable identity fraud, social engineering, and targeted harassment campaigns against the platform's predominantly female user base.

What Attackers Can Do With Pankhuri User Data

With full names, email addresses, phone numbers, genders, and birthdays in hand, attackers can build convincing fake profiles or launch highly personalized phishing campaigns. This data combination is partcularly dangerous because it allows fraudsters to pass identity verification checks on financial and government platforms, or to impersonate victims on other social networks.

What Was Exposed in the Pankhuri Breach

• Email Address
• Username
• First Name
• Last Name
• Gender
• Birthday
• Phone Number

Why the Pankhuri Breach Still Matters Today

Personal identity data does not expire. Unlike passwords that can be reset, names, birthdays, and phone numbers stay attached to real people indefinitely. Breach records from 2022 are still actively traded in dark web markets today, where they are combined with data from other leaks to build comprehensive profiles that are far more damaging than any single source alone.

How a Database Breach Works

A database breach happens when an attacker gains unauthorized access to a company's data storage, whether through SQL injection, misconfigured cloud storage buckets, stolen credentials, or unpatched software vulnerabilities. Once access is achieved, the attacker exports user tables containing all stored personal information. These exports are then compressed and distributed through private hacker forums or sold on dark web marketplaces to buyers who use the data for fraud, spam, and identity theft.

Check If Your Data Was Exposed

HEROIC's breach intelligence database contains over 400 billion records from incidents like Pankhuri and thousands of other compromised platforms worldwide. Run a free scan at HEROIC.com to see if your email address, phone number, or personal details have surfaced in any known breach and get clear next steps to protect yourself.