Seedsman Gets Hacked - No Longer Sponsor

[420]

First and foremost, we hope everyone had a great holiday. We'd also like to thank each of you for your continued support. This community is very important to us, as is your privacy.

Seedsman's servers were recently hacked and unfortunately, sensitive information and other customer data was breached.

Here is Seedsman's acknowledgement on their website - Data Breach

They are are deleting records and accounts upon request.

Letter From Seedsman's CEO to 420 Magazine for 100% Transparency

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Dear Rob,

I am reaching out to let you know that cyber criminals recently hacked into Seedsman’s computer systems. We determined that they accessed some customer data from May 2018 to December 2022. Unfortunately, we believe some of your personal data may be included in this breach.

We apologise for this and are working diligently to increase the security of our systems and protect our customers.

What we know

Our investigation is ongoing and our highest priority.

On May 31, 2024, unauthorised disclosure of some of our customers’ personal information occurred following attempts to extort money from Seedsman.

The database involved contains data on approximately 780,000 customers in the UK, Europe and the U.S. from May 2018 to December 2022. Our investigation shows that the following personal information may have been disclosed as part of this incident:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Email address.

I can confirm that:
• No order details have been disclosed.
• No credit or debit card numbers have been compromised, as we do not store payment information.
• No passwords were disclosed.

What Seedsman is doing

We are working with outside cyber specialists and have taken precautionary steps to further secure our networks to mitigate the risk to our customers and the company. We are also cooperating with relevant regulatory bodies and legal teams.

If you still have a Seedsman account, please be assured that your account is secure.

What you should you do

I am notifying you of this incident because it could increase your risk of being exposed to scam or phishing attacks where fraudulent phone calls, SMS messages or emails are sent to trick recipients into disclosing personal data.
There are a few things you can do to reduce this risk:
• Be vigilant with all emails you receive, including any email that claims to come from Seedsman or appears suspicious in any way. The legitimate Seedsman email address from which we communicate to our customers is: hello@email.seedsman.com
If you are unsure whether an email claiming to come from us is legitimate, please contact us directly. You can contact our customer services team here.
• Be suspicious of any unexpected requests for your personal information, including your financial information.

Additional ways to protect yourself online
• Set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your online accounts.
MFA provides you with an extra layer of protection. It involves using two or more authentication factors to verify your identity, such as information you know (e.g. your personal, account or password details) together with information you have (e.g. a unique code sent to your phone). While it may be easy for a criminal to steal one form of information, it's harder for them to steal two.
• Regularly change your passwords.
We understand this is frustrating, but cyberattacks rely on people using the same password for multiple accounts. If you do not change your passwords regularly (and make them hard passwords to break), you could be at risk. We advise subscribing to a secure password manager.

Additional resources
In addition to the above steps to protect yourself online, here is a useful resource to help you recognise and report scams.
• ICO advice: Online and electronic devices

You can stay up to date with the progress of our investigation by visiting this page on our website: Stay updated (seedsman.com)

If you have any further questions or concerns about this incident, you can get in contact with our Customer Service team here.

I sincerely apologise that this incident occurred and for any concern this has caused you. I will continue to update you as our investigation continues and once it has concluded.

Regards,

Tom
Chief Executive Officer

Shortly after the breach, we received communication stating they would not be renewing their sponsorship on 420 Magazine. Even after several communications, and being reminded they're currently in the middle of 2 comparative grows within our community. They stated they're pulling all support from every forum, citing "we're not getting enough return".

Considering these unforeseen circumstances, Seedsman is no longer a sponsor of 420 Magazine. We were forced to shut down their branded Seedsman forum, which will make all of their posts inaccessible.

This leaves us in an awkward position, for several reasons. To prevent further non-sponsored promotions, their access has been removed, discussion thread has been locked and they have been removed from all contests.

We understand that Seedsman offered gift certificates for the comparative grow competition, and we will hold them to it. Contest polls will open for voting once the last journal has been completed.

Please feel free to finish your comparative grow journals, and enjoy your harvest. We look forward to seeing everyone's gardening skills! Even though we're grateful for Seedsman's past support, please respectfully try to eliminate the use of Seedsman tags & links.

As you wrap up your journals, please keep in mind our current sponsors who keep our community and mission thriving.

@Rocket Seeds @Sweet Seeds @Royal Queen Seeds @Barney's Farm @Dank Seeds @Delicious Seeds @Freedom of Seeds @Growers Choice Seeds @Herbies Seeds @North Atlantic Seed Co @Original Sensible Seeds @Table Mountain Sativa Co @CropKingSeeds @The Seed Fair @The Vault @World of Seeds Official

You can find discounts from our sponsors on their profile page signatures and also here
420 Member Discounts From 420 Magazine Sponsors

We wish Seedsman well and hope they return in the future.

Thank you for your support, we are truly grateful.

We value and appreciate each and every one of you!

Together we will rise above this.

Greenest Regards,
Rob Griffin
Founder/CEO

 

[420]

Moving forward, we ask that everyone take precautions to protect your identity.

Here are some steps to help ensure your privacy, safety & freedom.

Stay Alert
If your personal information was exposed in a data breach, the breached company is suppose to notify you. (If they operate in any of the 50 states, they're compelled by law to do so.) If you receive a breach notice, retain all documents and take recommendations they provide seriously.

Secure Your Accounts
Starting with any accounts specific with the breach, update the passwords and PINs you use to log in to your bank and credit card accounts. Accounts affected directly in a breach are obviously at greatest risk, but access to any of your personal information heightens the risk that your other accounts could be compromised.

If you aren't already doing so, start implementing these good password hygiene practices to mitigate account security risks:

Don't reuse passwords. Use unique passwords for each of your online accounts. Otherwise, a thief who's obtained login information for one account could be able to use the same information to gain access to others.

Enroll in a two-factor authentication. This requires you to get a confirmation code via text message or email before each login, to prove you're you. It adds a small step to the sign-in process, but it makes it much harder for password thieves to gain access.

Be aware that data breaches are not always detected immediately, so by the time you receive a notice, your information may have been available to criminals for some time.

If you receive a notice that your information has been compromised in a data breach, it's important to act quickly to secure your accounts and take preventive measures against fraud.

Initiate a Fraud Alert
A fraud alert notifies any lender processing a credit application in your name that you may be a victim of fraud or identity theft and requests that they verify the applicant is really you before moving ahead with the application.

When you add a fraud alert to your credit report the alert is automatically applied to your credit reports at all three bureaus.

A fraud alert will stay on your credit report for one year. You can renew the fraud alert when it expires. If your worst suspicions are confirmed and you find you're victimized by fraud, you can apply an extended fraud alert that lasts seven years before requiring renewal.

Monitor Your Financial Accounts & Credit Reports
Keep tabs on your bank and financial accounts and set up any available alerts to notify you of activity on the account. Staying aware of unusual or unexpected activity on your account lets you detect potential scams early and allows you to report or investigate them promptly.

Checking your credit report also can help you identify any unusual activity related to credit fraud and identity theft, such as the creation of loan or credit card accounts you don't recognize and the addition of unfamiliar addresses to your personal information.

Stay Vigilant for Signs of Scams
Unusual sender email addresses

Attachments from companies or organizations that don't typically include them

Requests for information the sender should already have (for example, your bank requesting you confirm your account number).

Data exposed during a breach creates a serious fraud risk. Sensitive information that could wind up in the hands of criminals or on the dark web after a data breach includes:

Full Name
Email Address
Date of Birth
Biometric Data
Passwords & Passcodes
Mailing Addresses

Criminals can use this information to commit targeted acts of phishing by convincing you their communications are from a legitimate source (such as your bank or a government official). Their goal may be to con you into handing over more sensitive information, or to trick you into providing access to your financial accounts.

Criminals also use information exposed in a breach to commit synthetic identity theft—the fabrication of new, false identities using pieced together sensitive information. They then use these fake personas to commit credit fraud or other illegal financial schemes.

Beware common signs of phishing attempts, including: Messages that urge you to act immediately using implied or explicit threats, such as "act now to avoid losing access to your account" or "this is your final chance to extend your home warranty."

 

[Timhomegrow]

A good thing for all to do is freeze credit reports. It's free, just go to the three credit reporting bureaus and freeze credit. It prevents anyone from opening a new account under your name. When you need your credit open, like buying a new vehicle, simply open it back up the day prior and freeze it again after the purchase.

 

[Tokin Roll]

I am speechless, I don't know what to say.

 

[BeccaBuds]

What is really strange is that the website is still up. I didn't click on anything and after closing the browser, ran both BitDefender AntiVirus and Malwarebytes Malware scans to be sure I hadn't "exposed" my PC.

Darn. I was thinking about getting some of those Purple Ghost beans. Not now...

 

[MochaBud]

I guess we can't congregate on the Comparative grows now that the threads have been removed??

 

[420]

I guess we can't congregate on the Comparative grows now that the threads have been removed??

You can still post to the threads by accessing the urls, just not viewable in the public forum.

 

[Greengoodness]

Have not bought from them in many years. I'm sticking to my trustworthy go to online vendor and friends who i know that breed.

 

[bluter]

sonofabitch ...

 

[Janluna]

Bruh

 

[Fenderbender]

In coming years expect everything to be hacked at some point and join all the things that were already hacked at some point.

 

[KBUENOS]

First and foremost, we hope everyone had a great holiday. We'd also like to thank each of you for your continued support. This community is very important to us, as is your privacy.

Seedsman's servers were recently hacked and unfortunately, sensitive information and other customer data was breached.

Here is Seedsman's acknowledgement on their website - Data Breach

They are are deleting records and accounts upon request.

Letter From Seedsman's CEO to 420 Magazine for 100% Transparency



Shortly after the breach, we received communication stating they would not be renewing their sponsorship on 420 Magazine. Even after several communications, and being reminded they're currently in the middle of 2 comparative grows within our community. They stated they're pulling all support from every forum, citing "we're not getting enough return".

Considering these unforeseen circumstances, Seedsman is no longer a sponsor of 420 Magazine. We were forced to shut down their branded Seedsman forum, which will make all of their posts inaccessible.

This leaves us in an awkward position, for several reasons. To prevent further non-sponsored promotions, their access has been removed, discussion thread has been locked and they have been removed from all contests.

We understand that Seedsman offered gift certificates for the comparative grow competition, and we will hold them to it. Contest polls will open for voting once the last journal has been completed.

Please feel free to finish your comparative grow journals, and enjoy your harvest. We look forward to seeing everyone's gardening skills! Even though we're grateful for Seedsman's past support, please respectfully try to eliminate the use of Seedsman tags & links.

As you wrap up your journals, please keep in mind our current sponsors who keep our community and mission thriving.

@Rocket Seeds @Sweet Seeds @Royal Queen Seeds @Barney's Farm @Dank Seeds @Delicious Seeds @Freedom of Seeds @Growers Choice Seeds @Herbies Seeds @North Atlantic Seed Co @Original Sensible Seeds @Table Mountain Sativa Co @CropKingSeeds @The Seed Fair @The Vault @World of Seeds Official

You can find discounts from our sponsors on their profile page signatures and also here
420 Member Discounts From 420 Magazine Sponsors

We wish Seedsman well and hope they return in the future.

Thank you for your support, we are truly grateful.

We value and appreciate each and every one of you!

Together we will rise above this.

Greenest Regards,
Rob Griffin
Founder/CEO

this is soo sad, hackers hurting everyone, I really feel bad for the people who died in Texas recently and everyone else who showed up to an appointment and could not be seen, to the everyone else else who was unable to pay for food or prescriptions due to this continuing threat, I want the world to galvanize against these trolls who simply love to make us all miserable, now I'm miserable all over again @420 @SeedsMan for what its worth I am truly sorry, this is scary stuff. I hope that you will recover, and gain times over what this incident cost you and all of your employees who potentially lost out as well, Thank you for being a positive part of the community

 

[KBUENOS]

A good thing for all to do is freeze credit reports. It's free, just go to the three credit reporting bureaus and freeze credit. It prevents anyone from opening a new account under your name. When you need your credit open, like buying a new vehicle, simply open it back up the day prior and freeze it again after the purchase.

Thanks for this, I have stopped those credit checks that the credit companies do when they send you pre-approved junk in the mail, I actually lost credit due to so many of them, now that you share this information I am going to do this too, thank you for letting me know that I also need to visit all three

 

[Timhomegrow]

Thanks for this, I have stopped those credit checks that the credit companies do when they send you pre-approved junk in the mail, I actually lost credit due to so many of them, now that you share this information I am going to do this too, thank you for letting me know that I also need to visit all three

Those unsolicited credit checks certainly lower the score.

 

[KBUENOS]

First and foremost, we hope everyone had a great holiday. We'd also like to thank each of you for your continued support. This community is very important to us, as is your privacy.

Seedsman's servers were recently hacked and unfortunately, sensitive information and other customer data was breached.

Here is Seedsman's acknowledgement on their website - Data Breach

They are are deleting records and accounts upon request.

Letter From Seedsman's CEO to 420 Magazine for 100% Transparency



Shortly after the breach, we received communication stating they would not be renewing their sponsorship on 420 Magazine. Even after several communications, and being reminded they're currently in the middle of 2 comparative grows within our community. They stated they're pulling all support from every forum, citing "we're not getting enough return".

Considering these unforeseen circumstances, Seedsman is no longer a sponsor of 420 Magazine. We were forced to shut down their branded Seedsman forum, which will make all of their posts inaccessible.

This leaves us in an awkward position, for several reasons. To prevent further non-sponsored promotions, their access has been removed, discussion thread has been locked and they have been removed from all contests.

We understand that Seedsman offered gift certificates for the comparative grow competition, and we will hold them to it. Contest polls will open for voting once the last journal has been completed.

Please feel free to finish your comparative grow journals, and enjoy your harvest. We look forward to seeing everyone's gardening skills! Even though we're grateful for Seedsman's past support, please respectfully try to eliminate the use of Seedsman tags & links.

As you wrap up your journals, please keep in mind our current sponsors who keep our community and mission thriving.

@Rocket Seeds @Sweet Seeds @Royal Queen Seeds @Barney's Farm @Dank Seeds @Delicious Seeds @Freedom of Seeds @Growers Choice Seeds @Herbies Seeds @North Atlantic Seed Co @Original Sensible Seeds @Table Mountain Sativa Co @CropKingSeeds @The Seed Fair @The Vault @World of Seeds Official

You can find discounts from our sponsors on their profile page signatures and also here
420 Member Discounts From 420 Magazine Sponsors

We wish Seedsman well and hope they return in the future.

Thank you for your support, we are truly grateful.

We value and appreciate each and every one of you!

Together we will rise above this.

Greenest Regards,
Rob Griffin
Founder/CEO

noooooo! thank you very much for the information, I will send my request today

 

[KBUENOS]

Those unsolicited credit checks certainly lower the score.

Oh they really do, it's like a destructive me signing up for everything, it used to really bad before I signed the forever form I am good for five years now I still get capital one and now I understand why, thanks again. That is really helpful