ELEVATED RISK BREACH

Russian America Data Breach


Status: Confirmed

183K+Records
Jan, 2017Breach
9/13/18Data Posted
6/10Severity
ModerateThreat Level

Breach Intelligence Summary


Entity: Russian America · Actor: Unknown · Source: Have I Been Pwned / ObscureIQ intelligence

Attack: Data Exfiltration via Under investigation

Timeline: Breach (Jan, 2017) · Reported (Sep, 2018) · Leak (9/13/18)

Exposure: 183K+ records · Email, Names, Passwords, Phone numbers

Status: Confirmed · Risk: Moderate (Account takeover + Phishing / SIM swap)

Summary

In approximately 2017 the website for Russian speakers in America known as Russian America suffered a data breach. The incident exposed 183k unique records including names email addresses, phone numbers and passwords stored in both plain text and as MD5 hashes. Russian America was contacted about the breach but did not respond.

About Russian America

Russian America is the organization affected by this breach. User data may have been generated through account creation, service usage, or business operations.

If you have interacted with Russian America in any capacity, your data may be included in this breach.

Threat Actor: Unknown

The threat actor responsible for this breach has not been publicly identified or confirmed at this time.

Reported or suspected access method:
  • Under investigation

Breach Exploitation Status

Threat Activity:
Moderate
Signal
Status
Dark web marketplace listings
Detected
Credential stuffing list overlap
Detected
Phishing campaign relevance
Possible
Ransomware affiliate crossover
Unknown
Law enforcement investigation visibility
Unknown

Data Longevity:
1–3 years

Email addresses and usernames persist but credentials may rotate. Phishing risk remains elevated during this window.

Data Points Exposed

Data observed in the leaked dataset:
Email
Names
Passwords
Phone numbers
Not confirmed in dataset:
Social Security Numbers
Payment card data
Passport numbers

Dark Web Verification

Status: Confirmed

  • Dataset containing approximately 183K+ records has been identified in breach intelligence sources.
  • The data is indexed and searchable across breach notification platforms.

Impact

This breach carries moderate risk due to the nature of exposed data fields and the scale of affected records.

Primary downstream threats include:
  • Targeted phishing referencing Russian America accounts or services
  • Credential stuffing against accounts sharing the same password
  • SIM-swap attempts where phone numbers are present
  • Data broker enrichment and resale

Recommendations for Impacted Individuals

If you believe your information may be included:

Check Your Exposure
If you are an ObscureIQ client, this breach has been indexed into your exposure profile.
Non-clients may request a breach impact review.
Expect Targeted Phishing
Watch for messages referencing:
Russian America account updates
Password reset requests
Verify directly through official channels.
Secure Your Email and MFA
Enable MFA immediately on email first, then financial platforms.
Email compromise is often the first pivot point.
Rotate Reused Passwords
Change any credentials shared with your Russian America account across other services.
Monitor Financial Accounts
Monitor accounts associated with your exposed email for unauthorized activity.
Suppress Personal Data
Remove exposed addresses, phone numbers, and enrichment data from broker networks and search engines.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened in the Russian America data breach?

In Jan, 2017, Russian America experienced a data breach that resulted in the exposure of approximately 183K+ records containing personal information.

What data was exposed in the Russian America breach?

The exposed data includes Email, Names, Passwords, Phone numbers.

How many records were affected in the Russian America breach?

Approximately 183K+ records were affected based on current breach intelligence.

Is the Russian America breach confirmed?

Yes. This breach is treated as confirmed based on data observed in breach intelligence platforms.

Is the Russian America breach data being used by criminals?

Data circulation has been detected across breach-sharing channels. Downstream exploitation risk exists based on the nature of the exposed fields.

What should I do if I was affected by the Russian America breach?

Rotate passwords associated with Russian America, enable multi-factor authentication on email and financial accounts, and monitor for suspicious activity.

Protect Yourself

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High-Risk? Get an Exposure Audit

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Corporate Accountability

Organizations that collect personal data have a duty to implement reasonable safeguards and to notify affected individuals when breaches occur.

Scope assessments may evolve as investigations continue. Users should not rely solely on early estimates when making risk decisions.

ObscureIQ Advisory

We combine proprietary dark web access with commercial and restricted breach intelligence to verify exposure and assess real-world risk.

If you are:
  • A public-facing individual
  • A high-profile executive
  • A customer of Russian America
  • Or simply concerned about credential reuse

We can confirm whether your information is circulating and evaluate downstream threat vectors.

Services
AuditsWipesThreat MonitoringTraining

Classification Tags

Data Exfiltration
Passwords
Email
Phone