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The 2023 AP Stylebook breach involved a legacy AP Stylebook website operated by outside provider Stylebooks.com, not the current site at apstylebook.com. AP said an unauthorized party accessed customer data between July 16 and July 22, 2023, after phishing emails directed customers to a counterfeit AP Stylebook page. The potentially exposed records included names, contact details, user IDs and a nine-digit number that could have been a Social Security number or Taxpayer ID.
What happened in the AP Stylebook breach?
Stylebooks.com notified AP on July 20, 2023, that customers were receiving phishing emails leading to a fake AP Stylebook website. The counterfeit page asked for updated credit-card information. AP says the unauthorized access affected information stored on the old website, during July 16–22.
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AP took the legacy website offline on July 23 and removed the spoofed Stylebooks site on July 27. It then warned customers, provided legitimate contact information and required password changes before customers could use the active service.
Was the current AP Stylebook website hacked?
No. AP’s notice states: “The active AP Stylebook website (https://www.apstylebook.com) was not affected by this security incident.” The incident concerned the older site and its database, which was maintained by Stylebooks.com.
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What information may have been exposed?
AP’s September 1, 2023 notification listed the following information as potentially accessible or acquired:
- Names
- Email addresses
- Street addresses, cities, states and ZIP codes
- Phone numbers
- User IDs
- Tax Exempt IDs collected for some purchases
- A submitted nine-digit number that could have been a Social Security number or Taxpayer ID
The notice did not establish that every listed data element belonged to every customer, and it did not publish an aggregate number of affected people. AP said it could not rule out access to the nine-digit identifier because the stored value might have been a Social Security number or a Taxpayer ID.
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AP Stylebook breach timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 16–22, 2023 | AP says an unauthorized third party accessed personal information on the old website; phishing emails were sent during this period. |
| July 20, 2023 | Stylebooks.com alerted AP that customers were being sent to a fake site requesting updated credit-card information. |
| July 23, 2023 | AP took the legacy AP Stylebook website offline. |
| July 27, 2023 | AP removed the spoofed Stylebooks site and emailed customers with warnings and legitimate contact details. |
| September 1, 2023 | AP dated its customer breach-notification letter. |
What AP did after discovering the incident
- Engaged a cyber-forensics firm and worked with Stylebooks.com.
- Removed both the legacy and spoofed websites.
- Sent phishing warnings and clarified legitimate ways to contact AP.
- Required password changes before access to the active site.
- Reviewed security protocols and internal training.
AP’s notice said it had no indication of identity theft or fraud related to the incident at the time customers were notified. That statement describes the information available when the letter was issued; it is not a guarantee that misuse could never occur.
What affected customers should do now
1. Treat unexpected AP Stylebook messages as phishing
Do not use links in an unsolicited email asking for payment, password or identity information. Instead, type the known AP Stylebook address into your browser or use contact information from an account statement or the breach notice.
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2. Change reused passwords
Use a new, unique password for the active AP Stylebook account and for any other service where the same password was reused. Turn on multifactor authentication wherever it is offered.
3. Review financial and account activity
Check bank, card and other account statements for unfamiliar transactions. Contact the financial institution through its official app, website or statement—not through a link in a suspicious message.
4. Obtain and review credit reports
Review your reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion for unfamiliar accounts, inquiries or address changes. Dispute inaccurate entries with the relevant bureau and creditor.
5. Consider a fraud alert or security freeze
An initial fraud alert is free and lasts at least 90 days. It asks potential creditors to take extra steps to verify your identity before opening new credit. A security freeze is also free and blocks prospective creditors from accessing your file until you lift the freeze. You must place a freeze separately with each of the three nationwide credit bureaus; it can be temporarily lifted when you apply for credit.
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6. Report suspected identity theft
If you find signs of misuse, notify the affected financial institution, contact law enforcement, report the matter to the Federal Trade Commission and notify your state attorney general, as AP’s notice recommends. Keep copies of emails, statements, reports and case numbers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Free monitoring offered in the notice
Eligible recipients were offered 24 months of complimentary Experian IdentityWorks. The notice describes the package as including:
- Daily monitoring of Experian, Equifax and TransUnion
- Identity-restoration assistance
- Identity-theft insurance, subject to the policy’s terms and jurisdictional limits
Enrollment eligibility and deadlines are determined by the individual notice. Monitoring can alert you to changes, but it does not prevent a thief from using data, replace a security freeze or recover losses automatically.
Fraud alert, freeze and monitoring: which helps with what?
| Option | Primary purpose | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Fraud alert | Adds an identity-verification warning for new credit applications. | Free; an initial alert lasts at least 90 days. |
| Security freeze | Restricts access to your credit file for most new-credit decisions. | Free; place it with each nationwide bureau and lift it when needed. |
| Credit monitoring | Notifies you about specified changes or activity on monitored credit files. | The AP notice offered 24 months of Experian IdentityWorks to eligible recipients. |
| Identity restoration | Provides help handling suspected identity theft. | Included in the named IdentityWorks offer for eligible recipients. |
What remains unknown?
AP’s notice did not state how many customers were affected, confirm that Social Security numbers were definitely exposed, or report confirmed identity theft or fraud at the time of notification. The documented risk is that a nine-digit value submitted by some customers could have been a Social Security number or Taxpayer ID, alongside the listed contact and account data.
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