- Scammers are targeting voters with fake registrations, surveys, and donation requests.
- The scams often involve pressure tactics and requests for personal financial information.
- Verify voter registration info with official state sources to avoid falling for them.
It's almost time for the 2024 presidential election, and scammers are out in force.
The three most common scams around elections are voter registration scams, fake surveys and polls, and political donation scams, experts say.
In all of these scams, the National Association of Secretaries of State says that scammers generally contact potential victims by phone or email, pretending to be a legitimate entity, like a political action committee or a state agency.
The best way to spot an election scam in any of these instances is to stop and see if the person reaching out to you is asking for personal financial information. If they are, it's likely a scam.
Other signs that a donation request from a PAC could be fake are if they push you to donate quickly or if the website doesn't provide any contact information, NASS says.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers commonly use "pressure" to get victims into uncomfortable situations. They will use phrases such as "act now!" to introduce a time element so that you don't have time to think about your actions.
"Pressuring you to act now is always a sign of a scam," the FTC says.
Fake surveys and polls that prey on people's heightened emotions during election seasons are also common, NASS says. Signs that a survey or poll could be fake are if they offer compensation or prizes for participation or if they ask about controversial topics "to rile you up."
To spot a fake voter registration message, check to make sure that the information you are receiving is coming from your official state or local election official, the agency says. Another common sign that a voter registration message could be a scam is if the messenger says you must pay to complete your voter registration.
The FTC recommends reporting any unsolicited texts or calls from someone who says they need your Social Security Number or financial information to register you to vote. If you think you may be the victim of a scam, you can visit the FTC's identity theft recovery page to report the fraud.
To register to vote, or to find out if your Social Security Number is required for voter registration in your state, the FTC says to contact your local election office or check the US Election Assistance Commission's National Voter Registration Form.