This election year has featured front page stories of hacks and data breaches aimed at political parties and candidates; however, according to the Better Business Bureau, even the average citizen needs to be on guard against election-related schemes and scams that could affect them. The BBB has identified four common scams to watch out for during this election season:
Campaign Donation Collection Scams
In addition to the political parties and candidates, there are any number of other organizations collecting funds during election season, many over the telephone. But not every solicitation is from a legitimate organization. Do not give your credit card or banking information to anyone who calls you. If you wish to contribute to a political campaign, do so through a verified campaign website or by contacting the local campaign office.
The Re-Register Scam
Scammers may call to tell you that you have been removed from the voter rolls and you need to re-register in order to vote. If you believe that you may not be registered, contact your state Board of Elections to determine your status and determine how to update your information (such as address). Never give personal information to strangers on the phone, no matter who they claim to be.
Survey Scams
Answer a few poll questions, and you will be eligible to win a prize! Sounds great, but the catch is that you have to provide credit card information to cover the costs of shipping and handling or taxes on the “prize.” And the other catch? There is no prize. The so-called survey is simply a pretext to get victims to hand over their credit card information.
The Vote by Phone Scam
No state allows voters to cast ballots over the telephone. If someone contacts you by telephone, text message or email about voting by phone, hang up or do not reply.
The Montgomery County (VA) Registrar warns to be wary of groups collecting voter registrations. The forms include the voter’s name, address, date of birth and Social Security Number. The persons collecting the forms may be volunteers helping citizens to get registered, or they may be crooks who will, “take them and just start setting up credit card accounts and everything else out there,” according to Montgomery County Voter Registrar Randy Wertz.
AARP points out that you will never be asked to provide financial information, such as a credit card, to register, and that it is not necessary to pay someone to register for you. Forms are available online, at election board offices, post offices, libraries and other public facilities.
