Most dKOS readers are familiar with the fact the conservative right has a long and sordid history of sleazy fundraising. The most recent examples, of course, are the fake “Wall Funding” scam and the fact that so called election fraud fundraisers all go to Trump’s legal bills or his cronies.
How did you get my phone number?
Far less well known is the fact that organizations on the left seem to have been duped by fundraiser organizations such that any donation to causes on the left that include an email address can result in illegal text messages (and occasionally phone calls) to those that chipped in to help their organization. The details of this connection are not obvious. And it isn’t clear who it is that has duped progressive causes into such unethical, if not illegal, behavoir.
For example, I often donate to groups of candidates endorsed by Daily KOS. Something like $5 to each candidate and $5 to the dKOS site. These donations are processed by ActBlue. The same problem seems to occur with any donation via ActBlue. They inevitably result in email messages, which I expect. But they also appear to result in my receiving text messages to my private and personal mobile phone.
I contacted ActBlue support twice, and they insist they do not have my phone number (I do not have an ActBlue account). Another suspicion was that my Representatives and Senators (who frequently request a phone number) have somehow shared this information to some database. For this reason I haven’t included a valid phone number when submitting comments and signing petitions for at least 3 years (I give a fake number if it is a required entry). And yet the problem has grown substantially.
I know there are a number of companies promoting themselves to candidates to solicit text donations. So another guess is that one or more of these companies have “scraped” various records to link email addresses to phone numbers, and then use these numbers to solicit donations for their clients.
Against the FCC rules?
I have read up on this, and according to the FCC web site unsolicited text messages are not permitted, even by non-profits and political campaigns. It also appears that such text messages are required to specify who they are from. Finally each text message must include a valid phone numbers or a code. These codes are registered and trackable, at least in theory. I won’t go into details on that aspect, but most of them lead to dead ends.
This repeated spam is hurting progressive causes as they are angering me and that does not induce me to donate. Just the opposite. I have to believe I am not alone in this anger and frustration. While I suspect the progressive candidates and causes may be victims themselves, it is really up to them to police their vendors and protect their own interests. I am hopeful that someone with more time than me can pursue this even further.
I have tried a few different approaches in hopes of collecting more information and stop the abuse. I tried replying to these texts begging that the senders tell me how they got my number as I do not give it out. I even promised a donation should they help me determine how they got my number. I have yet to get a response to those, but I continue to do so. That way I have proof I have contacted them proactively.
I have also tried calling the phone numbers when provided. I have yet to get through. In some cases I just get a busy signal. In other cases I find that the number provided is not a working number. The latter is most certainly a violation of the FCC’s rules.
I have contacted a number of companies that handle SMS text message advertising posing as someone considering running a campaign. I asked if it is possible for them to text people if I provide an email address. All of those that responded (about 4-5 companies) said that they could not do so.
So, what can you do if you are a victim of this problem?
Here’s what I am doing:
1. Reply to the text stating that you have never opt-ed into this service and ask how they got your number.
2. Then reply with a separate text with just the word STOP. It is unclear if that message goes to the sender, or to your mobile provider. But in theory this is how you “opt-out” if there are no other opt-out instructions.
3. Forward the original text, and your reply, to the number 7726 (spam). This goes to your mobile provider’s special group that is supposed to deal with such matters. They supposedly share this with other agencies working to protect the public. The more reports the more effective this works.
4. Do not delete the text thread. That way you will be aware if they contact you again despite your clear instructions to stop, as the new text will be threaded with the original messages. This would be very good evidence of repeated and willful disregard of the rules, and that can determine the fines involved.
5. Especially in egregious cases, go to the FCC web site (link below) and file a complaint with all relevant details. So far I only do this for cases where I have done the above and they send additional texts even though I have opted-out. The DSCC has now resubscribed me 3 times. I think they do it each month when they get my recurring donation. I may well cancel those donations if they don’t wise up.
FCC info page and complaint link: https://www.fcc.gov/rules-political-campaign-calls-and-texts
6. If you have an ActBlue Account, you may want to see if that account includes your phone number. If so delete it, or enter a fake non working number such as 123 456-7890. In my case I don’t have an account, and they claim they don’t have my number, but they still could be the problem since it seems each organization has these forms.
7. If you do not have an ActBlue account it still seems you should click the “reset the form” link each and every time you donate. In some cases these saved donor forms include phone numbers, but not always. Leave blank any telephone number field.
No reply from ActBlue
I have contacted the ActBlue Press contact email from their web site on June 15 and June16, 2022 sharing a draft of this blog for comment. I have not received so much as a generic canned response. I will post if I get a reply at some later time.
Please share with me your experiences
Please answer the survey, even if you have not had this problem. While not scientific, I am interested to see how commonly this abuse is happening.
If anyone has researched this further, please let me know so we can share notes. I am fighting mad. It is really annoying to see progressive groups sinking to the sleazy levels of the right, deliberately or not. And these are groups and candidates I want to support. I know that SMS/text campaigns can be quite successful, but they need to stick to the opt-in rule. At the barest minimum they absolutely must honor opt-out requests. In the meanwhile I am no longer giving “tips” to ActBlue since I suspect they are, in part, culpable.
Rolf