Political Fundraising Scams During Election Season to Avoid

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The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning of an uptick in political fundraising scams seeking to collect donations allegedly going toward a candidate’s campaign or specific cause. 

Here’s all you need to know about political fundraising scams: 

How Political Fundraising Scams Play Out 

In a political fundraising scam, the victim receives a call from someone claiming to be collecting money for a political candidate or cause. The caller is aggressive and demanding until the victim agrees to make a donation. They will also insist on immediate payment. The victim, not recognizing the scam, willingly donates money — which goes directly into the scammer’s pockets. 

In another variation of this scam, the victim is targeted by a bogus online ad or email. After clicking on the ad or embedded link in the email, the victim is directed to donate funds. Here, too, the money goes directly to the scammer. 

Red Flags of Political Fundraising Scams 

To spot a political fundraising scam, be on the lookout for these red flags: 

• Fundraising email has grammatical errors and spelling mistakes 
• Caller urges voter to make an immediate donation 
• Caller or email insists on payment by specific means, such as wire transfer or prepaid debit card 
• Email is sent from an insecure domain 
• Email is sent from a domain that does not have a legitimate online presence 

How to Donate 

If you’d like to make a donation to your favored campaign or cause, follow these tips: 

• Donate directly on the candidate or cause’s official website. 
• Never make a donation on a website that has an insecure address. 
• Be cautious of phone solicitations for donations. 
• Research any cause you’d like to donate to by researching FEC.gov or the Center for Responsive Politics. 
• Don’t donate to a cause that does not ask for your citizenship status. 
• When donating funds, it’s best to use a credit card. 

Spotting a Scam 

The FBI urges all citizens to report any election scams to a local FBI field office as soon as possible. 

Other Poltical Scams 

There are unfortunately many different ways fraudsters using the election as a pretense to get your money or personal information. Be on the lookout for these schemes! 

1. Last-Minute Campaign Contributions 

In this scam, someone asks you for another small donation before the election. 

These funds never make it near your candidate’s campaign. At best, the crook keeps your money. At worst, they have your credit or debit card information, leaving you a huge bill down the road! 

In most states, voter registration information is public. A quick search of your name or address reveals your party affiliation. From there it’s easy to guess your candidate preference. The scammer uses the candidate’s credibility to gain your trust. Don’t let them succeed! 

To avoid this scam, give proactively. To donate money, seek out the candidate’s website and donate there. 

2. Voter Re-Registration 

Going to vote means dealing with endless rules. Did you register to vote? Did you miss last election and aren’t sure about your registration status? This uncertainty forms the basis of this scam. 

A scammer contacts you claiming your name has been accidentally removed from the voter rolls. They’ll promise to correct that mistake with some information, like your address and Social Security number. 

You’ll soon discover that your identity has been stolen. The caller didn’t complete a voter registration form – it wasn’t necessary. They just collected your information and abused it. 

Beat this scam using the same public records scammers use. A quick search on your state’s Secretary of State website will reveal whether you’re registered to vote. 

3. Opinion Polling 

Everyone wants a preview of election results, leading to thousands of pre-election polls. To incentivize participation, survey companies offer rewards for participation. That’s the “in” for this scam. 

A fraudster will call and walk you through a general survey. Then, they’ll tell you you’ve earned a thank-you prize. You only need to pay a small “processing fee” using a major credit card or give them your account information so they can directly deposit the “prize.” 

There is no prize, and there’s probably no poll. Scammers are using the pretext of a poll to gain access to your personal information. 

Never give any personal information in a call you didn’t initiate, and never trust anyone who asks you to pay a fee before they give you a prize. 

Whoever you vote for, it’s your right to make your voice heard. Don’t let criminals prevent you from doing your civic duty! 

This election season, vote no for scams!