If you have given enough to trigger federal disclosure requirements, you may be surprised by how much information can be connected to your donation.
uncertain
information → give → donation
Depending on the record, that can include your name, mailing address, employer, occupation, donation amount and the political committee that received your money.
asserted
that → depend → money
And once information about you is public, it can potentially be combined with personal details found elsewhere online.
asserted
it → combine → details
Here's what your political donation can reveal, how that information can be used and what you can do to reduce the rest of your exposure.
asserted
you → reveal → exposure
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares practical ways to stay safer, smarter and more confident with technology.
asserted
Knutsson → share → technology
Each class is free, easy to follow and comes with a free printable checklist.
asserted
class → follow → checklist
See the classes and register at CyberGuyLive.com
What's actually in your political donation record
Federal campaigns generally must itemize an individual's contributions once that person's contributions exceed $200 in the aggregate during the applicable election cycle.
asserted
contributions → see → cycle
For PACs and party committees, the reporting period can be based on the calendar year.
asserted
period → base → year
An itemized federal contribution can include:
- Your full name
- Your mailing address
- Your employer
- Your occupation
- The date of the contribution
- The amount you contributed
- The candidate or committee receiving the contribution
One contribution may not seem revealing on its own.
uncertain
contribution → include → own
The privacy concern grows when those details can be connected with information already available through people-search sites, public records and data brokers.
asserted
details → grow → sites
A people-search profile may already include addresses and relatives, while a campaign finance record can add another verified detail about where you work or what you do.
uncertain
you → include → what
Want to see how much of your personal information is already exposed online?
asserted
much → want → information
How public donation information can add to your online profile
A campaign finance record alone provides only part of the picture.
asserted
record → add → picture
Other public sources and people-search sites may reveal much more.
uncertain
sources → reveal → more
Sites such as Spokeo, Whitepages and BeenVerified can contain address histories, possible relatives, phone numbers, email addresses and property information.
asserted
Sites → contain → histories
When information from several sources lines up, someone researching you may be able to build a much more detailed profile.
uncertain
someone → line → profile
Here is how those pieces can connect.
asserted
pieces → connect → ?
Step 1: They can confirm who you are
Names are rarely unique.
asserted
Names → confirm → ?
An address, employer or occupation can help distinguish you from another person with the same name.
asserted
address → help → name
That makes publicly available information useful for confirming that someone has found the right person.
asserted
someone → make → person
Step 2: They can look for your family
Once someone has your name and location, people-search services may make it easier to identify possible relatives.
uncertain
it → look → relatives
Your political donation record does not normally list your family members.
asserted
record → list → members
However, information found elsewhere can connect your identity with a spouse, adult child, parent or other relative.
asserted
information → find → spouse
That can create opportunities for impersonation scams and highly personalized phishing attempts.
asserted
That → create → scams
Step 3: Your workplace can make a scam more convincing
Knowing where you work gives a scammer another detail that can make an email, text or phone call feel legitimate.
asserted
email → make → detail
A phishing message that mentions your actual employer or professional role can be more convincing than a generic message because it contains information you recognize.
asserted
you → mention → information
That is why limiting the amount of personal information available across the web can reduce what criminals have to work with.
Step 4: Be cautious with personalized donation requests
Scammers frequently imitate legitimate organizations, charities and fundraising groups.
asserted
Scammers → limit → organizations
The FTC warns that fraudulent fundraisers may use familiar-sounding names, pressure people to act quickly or falsely claim someone donated before.
uncertain
someone → warn → people
Information copied or obtained from FEC reports about individual contributors cannot legally be sold or used to solicit political or charitable contributions or for commercial purposes.
asserted
Information → copy → purposes
Criminals do not always follow the law, of course.
asserted
Criminals → follow → course
Still, you should be suspicious of any unexpected fundraising request that seems unusually familiar with your personal history.
asserted
that → seem → history
What if you donated through ActBlue or WinRed?
Using an online fundraising platform does not automatically make a federal contribution private.
asserted
contribution → donate → platform
For earmarked federal contributions exceeding $200, reporting requirements can include the contributor's name, mailing address, employer, occupation, date and amount.
asserted
requirements → earmark → name
Disclosure thresholds and the information made public vary by state, so a contribution that is not itemized under federal rules could still be subject to separate state reporting requirements.
uncertain
that → make → requirements
What data removal services can and cannot remove
asserted
services → remove → ?
This is an important limitation to understand.
asserted
This → understand → ?
A data removal service generally cannot erase legally required government records such as federal campaign finance filings.
asserted
service → erase → filings
That means an FEC filing is not something a removal service can simply delete.
asserted
service → mean → ?
What these services can address is the personal information surrounding that public record.
asserted
address → address → record
Your campaign finance record might identify your name, mailing address, employer and occupation.
uncertain
record → identify → name
…and 29 more, not listed.
The Aporia
