The recent data breach at the University of Pennsylvania has left many donors in a state of uncertainty. With sensitive information about 1.2 million donors exposed, it’s crucial to understand the implications for your personal security. This breach isn’t just about data; it's about the potential misuse of your identity. In this guide, we’ll navigate through what was leaked, assess whether you should be concerned, and provide actionable steps to safeguard your information.
What Datapoints Were Leaked?
When the University of Pennsylvania announced its data breach, the scale of exposed details made headlines—and for good reason. The incident didn’t just involve basic contact info. Here’s what was actually leaked:
Personal Identifiers
Full names
Dates of birth
Home addresses
Phone numbers
These datapoints are the building blocks for anyone trying to impersonate you or dig deeper into your digital footprint.
Sensitive and Demographic Information
Estimated net worth
Details about your financial standing, even if just estimates, can be a goldmine for scammers looking to target high-value individuals.
Donation history
Knowing how much you’ve given, to whom, and when, opens the door for fraudulent requests that sound convincing.
Demographic details
Data like religion and race were included. This isn’t just a privacy concern—it can be used to craft highly targeted, manipulative scams.
How Was the Data Accessed?
Attackers got in through Penn’s VPN, tapping into systems like Salesforce and other internal databases. This wasn’t a simple phishing scam or run-of-the-mill hack. The breach involved direct access to core data repositories—meaning the information pulled was both broad and deeply personal.
If you’re reading this and feeling uneasy, you’re not alone. The level of detail in this breach sets it apart from typical leaks, putting affected donors at higher risk for misuse of their identity and personal life.
Should You Be Worried?
If your information was caught up in the University of Pennsylvania data breach, it’s normal to feel uneasy. The reality is, this leak isn’t just about numbers and names. It’s about your personal safety. Here’s why you should be paying attention:
Targeted Phishing and Social Engineering
When attackers get their hands on sensitive information, they don’t let it gather dust. Instead, they craft targeted phishing emails—the kind that look convincing because they use real details about you or your connection to the university.
Phishing attacks: Expect emails that appear official, asking you to verify your account, update passwords, or click on urgent links.
Social engineering: Scammers might even call, pretending to be university staff, using leaked details to gain your trust and trick you into giving up more information.
Tip: Be skeptical of any unexpected communications claiming to be from the university. Always double-check sender addresses and never share credentials over email or phone.
Scammers Impersonating the University
Fraudsters know that people trust their alma mater. With enough leaked data, they can convincingly impersonate university officials and solicit donations or personal information.
Fake donation requests: You might get emails or calls requesting support for fake causes, scholarships, or urgent needs.
Spoofed communications: Some scammers will use lookalike email addresses or phone numbers to make their outreach seem even more believable.
Stay alert: If you receive a request for money or sensitive info, contact the university directly using official contact details—never reply or click on links in suspicious messages.
Assessing the Risk of Identity Theft
Identity theft isn’t just a buzzword. When data leaks include names, addresses, or even Social Security numbers, the risk is real.
Breadth of exposure: The more details leaked, the higher your risk. Names, birthdates, and contact info are often enough for fraudsters to open accounts or commit fraud in your name.
Long-term consequences: Identity theft doesn’t always happen right away. Stolen data can resurface months or years later.
Mitigation steps:
Monitor your credit reports for unusual activity.
Set up fraud alerts with major credit bureaus.
Use privacy tools to mask your real information whenever possible.
Cloaked can help here. With tools that let you create masked emails and phone numbers, you can shield your real contact details from scammers—making phishing and identity theft attempts much harder for bad actors.
Stay cautious and proactive. The threat is real, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your identity.
What Should Be Your Next Steps?
Dealing with a data breach is unsettling, but taking the right actions can help you regain control. Here’s what you need to do right now:
1. Keep a Close Eye on Your Accounts
Monitor financial statements: Check your bank and credit card accounts for any charges you don’t recognize. Fraudulent activity often starts small to fly under the radar.
Review your Penn-related accounts: Log in and look for unauthorized changes or logins. If you see something odd, report it right away.
2. Verify Unexpected Communications
Don’t trust every message: If you get an email, call, or text claiming to be from Penn or a related entity, pause before responding. Phishing attempts usually ramp up after a breach.
Contact the real source: Use official Penn contact information—not what’s in the suspicious message—to check if the communication is legit.
Watch for red flags: Look out for poor grammar, urgent requests, or unfamiliar sender addresses. These are classic warning signs.
3. Strengthen Your Identity Protection
Change your passwords: Start with your Penn accounts and then update passwords elsewhere, especially if you reuse them (not recommended).
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): This adds an extra hurdle for anyone trying to break into your accounts.
Consider identity monitoring: Services like Cloaked can help you keep tabs on your personal data. Cloaked’s privacy tools allow you to mask your real email, phone, and credit card details—making it much harder for criminals to use stolen information against you.
4. Stay Informed
Check for updates: Penn will likely share information as the investigation unfolds. Stay tuned to their official channels.
Educate yourself: Learn about common scams and tactics used after breaches. Knowledge is your best defense.
Your next steps should focus on vigilance and proactive security. This is about taking charge, not panicking. If you keep your guard up and use the right tools, you can reduce your risk and protect your information.
Cloaked FAQs Accordion
Frequently Asked Questions
First, change your passwords—especially if you've reused them across sites. Then enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all key accounts. Review your account and credit activity regularly for any unusual behavior. If suspicious actions surface, consider freezing your credit and alerting your bank. To proactively reduce exposure in the future, tools like Cloaked can mask your personal information before breaches happen.
Cloaked provides you with disposable emails, phone numbers, and payment details, making it harder for bad actors to access your real identity. These tools help you safely sign up for services, communicate, and shop online without putting your core identity at risk.
Commonly targeted data includes full names, email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates, physical addresses, login credentials, and payment info. Tools like Cloaked help shield this information by providing secure, masked alternatives.
Always be skeptical. Malicious links are one of the most common ways hackers infect devices or steal data. Avoid clicking unless you can verify the source. Services like Cloaked can add layers of security so your real contact info isn’t exposed even if you make a mistake.
Using the same contact info across platforms makes it easy for attackers to build a full profile of you. If one platform gets breached, all your accounts can be at risk. That’s why Cloaked allows you to use different, secure contact methods for each service.
At Cloaked, we believe the best way to protect your personal information is to keep it private before it ever gets out. That’s why we help you remove your data from people-search sites that expose your home address, phone number, SSN, and other personal details. And to keep your info private going forward, Cloaked lets you create unique, secure emails and phone numbers with one click - so you sign up for new experiences without giving away your real info. With Cloaked, your privacy isn’t a setting - it’s the default. Take back control of your personal data with thousands of Cloaked users.
*Disclaimer: You agree not to use any aspect of the Cloaked Services for FCRA purposes.
