The City of Boyne City Listed by thegentlemen Ransomware Group: Ransomware Claim — What’s Alleged & What To Do

The City of Boyne City, a municipality in Charlevoix County, Michigan, was listed by the ransomware group thegentlemen on or around July 1, 2026. The listing references a ransomware attack in which internal files were allegedly exfiltrated. The number of people affected is not known, and no further details on the incident have been made public. This matters to residents and others who interact with the city because municipal records often contain information tied to local services, utilities, and government functions. Any confirmed exposure of such records can create follow-on privacy and security considerations for individuals.

Inside the incident

The available information is limited to the group’s leak-site listing. It states that internal files were exfiltrated during a ransomware attack. No dates for the intrusion itself, no volume of data, and no description of the attack method beyond the ransomware classification have been released.

The listing constitutes the group’s claim of involvement. Independent confirmation of the data’s contents or the circumstances of the exfiltration has not been provided.

Who is thegentlemen?

Thegentlemen is a ransomware operator that targets organizations and publishes victim names on a dedicated leak site when negotiations fail. Groups of this type commonly encrypt systems and threaten to release stolen material to pressure payment.

Public reporting on thegentlemen has documented similar listings against entities in both public and private sectors, though each incident’s specifics vary and require separate verification.

About The City of Boyne City

The City of Boyne City provides local government services, utility billing, parks and recreation programs, and community information to residents in northern Michigan. Like other small municipalities, it maintains records necessary to deliver these services, including data on property, payments, and citizen interactions.

Local governments hold information that can be sensitive because it is tied directly to individuals’ addresses, accounts, and official dealings. A breach at this level therefore touches core public functions rather than commercial operations alone.

What data was at risk

The only data category named in connection with the listing is internal files exfiltrated during the ransomware attack. No inventory of file types, no confirmation of personal identifiers, and no statement on whether the files were later published have been released.

Why it matters

Residents may face downstream risks if any of the exfiltrated files contained personal details used for city services. These risks include potential misuse of identifying information or disruption of local administrative processes.

For the city, the incident adds to the operational burden of investigating the intrusion, notifying affected parties if required, and restoring systems while maintaining public services.

Were you affected?

Because the number of individuals involved and the exact contents of the files remain undisclosed, residents have no direct way to determine exposure from public statements alone. The following steps can help limit potential harm while more information is awaited:

• Monitor official City of Boyne City communications and the Michigan state attorney general’s data-breach notices for any required disclosures.
• Review bank, utility, and government account statements for unusual activity.
• Run a free exposure scan of your email address against known breach datasets to check for prior appearances of your information.

AICompiled with AI assistance from public sources and published under our editorial standards.