Dangerous Election Scams

Like many Americans, I have donated money to my favorite political candidates over the years.  Usually I go straight to their websites, which seems to be the safest way to make a donation.  However, many people make donations when they receive phone calls from sincere sounding individuals who say they are calling from the campaign quarters of major candidates.  Often they convey a sense of urgency, telling you the campaign desperately needs more more or your candidate will almost certainly lose.

Donation Scams: I'm sad to report that these phone calls are often from scammers to are using the current election season as a way to trick honest people out of their hard-earned money.  If you receive a phone call and want to make a donation to a political party or a candidate, you are far safer if you contact the campaign or election office and make a donation directly to them.

Here are some other scams you need to avoid:

Voter Registration Scam:  Callers tell you that you need to re-register to vote and that you can do so over the phone.  All you need to do is give them some identifying information, such as your Social Security number.  Currently there are no states that allow you to register over the phone, so don't fall for this scam.

Election Poll Scam:  Many people are quite happy to tell pollsters which candidate or propositions they plan to support.  If someone calls and this is all they want to know, then the poll is probably legitimate.  However, if they want your personal information, do not give it to them.  If they offer you a prize for answering their questions, don't fall for this trick.  Often they will ask for you credit card information to cover fees or other charges.  This is just a tricky way for a dishonest person to get your credit card information. 

No matter who you support, you do not want to fall for any of these scams.  If you believe that you have been the victim of one of these calls, contact local law enforcement and let them know.  If your caller ID captured the phone number of the caller, report that to the police, too.

Elections are a wonderful time for Americans to exercise our legitimate right to vote.  Don't let your enjoyment of your political freedom be ruined by becoming the victim of a scam.

You may also be interested in reading:

The PayPal Scam
How to Avoid ATM Theft, Scams and Skimmers
Post Disaster Contractor Fraud

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Photo of ballot courtesy of www.morguefile.com