FRAUDLIFESTYLE & TRAVELCOLLEGE

Election Day Scams

Voting for local officials and presidential candidates on election day or through early voting methods is a critical aspect of American democracy. Due to the importance of election day, fraudsters take advantage of potential voters by pretending to be genuine sources of voting information. Scammers attempt to contact voters through mail, email, texts, and even showing up at their front door. Let’s review how you might encounter this fraudulent activity and ways to protect yourself.

Surveys and Polls

In the midst of election season, voters may be contacted to complete a survey or poll to see if they plan to vote and who they will cast their vote for. During this process, a scammer may ask for more personal information and will likely fail to provide adequate reasoning for why they need it. Remember that you are not required to give any identifying information during a legitimate inquiry. If you are in this position and unsure what to say or do, immediately end the conversation.

Campaign Donation Scams

During a candidate’s campaign run, individuals may reach out and present themselves as a part of a political action committee (PAC). During an interaction, these scammers will likely ask for donations for the campaign. This can take place over the phone, through email, or via mail. This is a common scam that is used to infiltrate financial accounts and personal information. Be sure to complete your own research before donating any money to a particular candidate or PAC.

Voter Registration

Another common type of fraud involves scammers sending out counterfeit voter registration forms for potential voters to complete. In addition, voters may receive a link that prompts them to re-register in order to participate in the election. This scam is done to gain access to mobile device so fraudsters can obtain personal information such as passwords and even Social Security numbers. Consider using antivirus software to safeguard your devices against phishing scams and other fraud attempts.

Post Election Scams

Most would assume as election day concludes the scam texts and phone calls would end. Unfortunately, this would not come to be true. You may find yourself to receive continuous communication from people pretending to request donations for future candidate or signing a petition to overturn the election results. Be mindful that once the election has ended there is no need for signing any petition or donations to candidate campaigns.

Key Takeaways and Tips

• Be mindful of links.

• Do not give out your personal identifying information to strangers.

• Do your own research through a preferred search engine.

• Do not provide your financial account information to an unverified source.

• Install antivirus software on your devices.

• Read information thoroughly.

• Be aware of the spread of misinformation.

• Display a no soliciting sign on your front door to avoid door-to-door campaign visitors.

• Avoid text-to-vote scams.

• Verify the source your information is coming from.

• Be wary of forms imitating voter registration or political donation paperwork.

Sources:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/deception-in-democracy-beware-the-most-common-types-of-election-related-scams/ar-AA1sMYQK?ocid=BingNewsSerp

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/elections/2024-elections-scam-warning-10-22-2024/275-436c3211-2db4-413a-aa5a-4c61dcaf3d28