Russell Cellular Data Breach Exposes 6.3 Million Customer Records
A potential data breach at Russell Cellular, one of the largest Verizon Authorized Retailers in the U.S., may have exposed the personal and account details of over 6.3 million customers. A 61GB database allegedly tied to the company was listed for sale on a hacker forum for $1,200, with threat actors providing file samples to verify its legitimacy.
According to Cybernews, the leaked data includes:
- Customer information: Names, phone numbers, email addresses, contract details, account numbers, invoice/tracking numbers, device models, and selected tariff plans.
- Device identifiers: ESN and IMEI/SN numbers.
- Employee data: Usernames, passwords (some in plaintext, others hashed), and access roles raising concerns about internal system compromise.
While the authenticity of the breach remains unconfirmed by Russell Cellular, the structured nature of the data suggests a credible exposure. The incident highlights risks to both customer privacy and corporate security, particularly if employee credentials were compromised. The situation is still developing.
Russell Cellular cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/russellcellular
R Wireless - Verizon Authorized Retailer cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/r-wireless-inc
"id": "RUSR-W1773766652",
"linkid": "russellcellular, r-wireless-inc",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "3/2026",
"severity": "50",
"impact": "2",
"explanation": "Attack limited on finance or reputation"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '6.3 million',
'industry': 'Telecommunications',
'location': 'U.S.',
'name': 'Russell Cellular',
'size': 'Large',
'type': 'Corporation'}],
'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'Partial (some passwords hashed, others in '
'plaintext)',
'data_exfiltration': 'Yes',
'number_of_records_exposed': '6.3 million',
'personally_identifiable_information': ['Names',
'Phone numbers',
'Email addresses',
'Account numbers',
'Contract details',
'Invoice/tracking '
'numbers',
'Device models',
'Tariff plans',
'ESN',
'IMEI/SN numbers',
'Usernames',
'Passwords'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['Customer information',
'Employee data',
'Device identifiers']},
'description': 'A potential data breach at Russell Cellular, one of the '
'largest Verizon Authorized Retailers in the U.S., may have '
'exposed the personal and account details of over 6.3 million '
'customers. A 61GB database allegedly tied to the company was '
'listed for sale on a hacker forum for $1,200, with threat '
'actors providing file samples to verify its legitimacy.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'Potential reputational damage',
'data_compromised': '6.3 million customer records',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High'},
'initial_access_broker': {'data_sold_on_dark_web': 'Yes'},
'investigation_status': 'Developing',
'motivation': 'Financial Gain',
'references': [{'source': 'Cybernews'}],
'title': 'Russell Cellular Data Breach Exposes 6.3 Million Customer Records',
'type': 'Data Breach'}