Ellafi Federal Credit Union Hit by Akira Ransomware Attack, Exposing Sensitive Data of 17,627 Individuals
Ellafi Federal Credit Union, a Connecticut-based not-for-profit financial institution focused on financial equity for women and underserved communities, confirmed a data breach after a ransomware attack in October 2025. The incident exposed sensitive personal and financial information of 17,627 individuals across the U.S., including 40 in Maine.
On October 14, 2025, Ellafi detected a network disruption and launched an investigation with cybersecurity experts. By November 20, the credit union determined that unauthorized parties had accessed files containing names, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, and debit card numbers. The ransomware group Akira later claimed responsibility, asserting it had stolen 17 GB of data, including employee records, customer information, W-9 forms, contracts, financial documents, and HR files. The breach was first posted on the dark web on November 3.
Affected individuals began receiving electronic notifications on December 23, 2025, and the incident was reported to the Maine Attorney General’s office on December 27. Ellafi is offering 12 months of free credit monitoring, dark web monitoring, and identity theft recovery services through IDX, with an enrollment deadline of March 23, 2026.
The law firm Shamis & Gentile P.A. is investigating potential legal claims for those impacted, citing possible eligibility for compensation. The breach underscores the growing threat of ransomware attacks targeting financial institutions and the exposure of highly sensitive consumer data.
Source: https://www.claimdepot.com/investigations/ellafi-federal-credit-union-data-breach-2025
Ellafi Federal Credit Union TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/ellafi-federal-credit-union
"id": "ell1766851025",
"linkid": "ellafi-federal-credit-union",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "10/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '17,627',
'industry': 'Banking/Credit Union',
'location': 'Connecticut, USA',
'name': 'Ellafi Federal Credit Union',
'type': 'Financial Institution'}],
'attack_vector': 'Unknown',
'customer_advisories': 'Electronic notice sent to affected individuals on '
'2025-12-23',
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes (17 GB of data)',
'file_types_exposed': ['W-9 forms',
'Contracts',
'Accounting and financial documents',
'HR files'],
'number_of_records_exposed': '17,627',
'personally_identifiable_information': ['Name',
'Social Security '
'number',
'Credit card number',
'Debit card number'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Personally Identifiable '
'Information',
'Financial Information',
'Confidential Business '
'Documents']},
'date_detected': '2025-10-14',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-12-23',
'description': 'Shamis & Gentile P.A. is investigating the Ellafi Federal '
'Credit Union data breach, where unauthorized parties accessed '
'or acquired sensitive personally identifiable information. '
'The breach affected 17,627 individuals in the U.S., with 40 '
'in Maine. A ransomware group known as Akira claimed '
'responsibility, stating they obtained 17 GB of data, '
'including employee and customer information, W-9 forms, '
'contracts, confidential files, accounting and financial '
'documents, and HR files.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential reputational damage due to '
'data exposure',
'data_compromised': '17 GB of data',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High',
'legal_liabilities': 'Potential legal actions and regulatory fines',
'operational_impact': 'Network disruption',
'payment_information_risk': 'High'},
'initial_access_broker': {'data_sold_on_dark_web': 'Posted on dark web on '
'2025-11-03'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'motivation': 'Financial Gain, Data Exfiltration',
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': 'Yes', 'ransomware_strain': 'Akira'},
'recommendations': ['Review account statements and credit reports for '
'suspicious activity',
'Obtain free credit reports from major credit reporting '
'agencies',
'Place a fraud alert on credit reports',
'Place a security freeze on credit files',
'Enroll in complimentary identity protection services '
'(IDX) offered by Ellafi',
'Report fraudulent activity to law enforcement, state '
'attorney general, and FTC'],
'references': [{'source': 'Shamis & Gentile P.A.'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['Maine Attorney '
"General's office "
'(2025-12-27)']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Electronic notice to affected '
'individuals, report to Maine Attorney '
"General's office",
'incident_response_plan_activated': 'Yes',
'third_party_assistance': 'Cybersecurity experts'},
'threat_actor': 'Akira',
'title': 'Ellafi Federal Credit Union Data Breach',
'type': 'Data Breach, Ransomware'}