Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — The upcoming general election will be hard to ignore — even for those who don't follow the day-to-day grind of politics — thanks in part to the amount of political advertising and messaging across social media, television and traditional media platforms.
Voters will also soon be inundated with texts, emails, mailers and phone calls from political parties, interest groups and candidates at all levels seeking support, visibility and, perhaps most importantly, donations. All that extra communication can help residents engage and support candidates and causes they agree with, but it can also be an opportunity for scammers, according to the Better Business Bureau, which on Tuesday released a guide to help residents protect themselves during this election cycle.
The most basic protections are similar to most common sense anti-scamming practices, namely: Don't give out personal information, such as Social Security numbers or credit card information, over the phone or in response to an email, and visit trusted websites directly to donate or otherwise get involved rather than clicking on links from emails.
While phishing and similar scams are already common, Melani Fox, the communications director for the Better Business Bureau Mountain West, told KSL.com scammers may try to exploit the trust voters have in their preferred candidate or party by pretending to be affiliated with them.
"From what I've seen, (it's) claiming to be a part of a polling firm, something with the party or with this particular candidate, and they're trying to build trust," she said. "They're trying to associate themselves with this person, this public figure that they already trust, even if they aren't associated in any way."
Another common tactic scammers use during the election season is to offer prizes or incentives for responding to supposed public opinion polls, and then asking respondents questions that could reveal sensitive personal information. Fox called offers of prizes in response a "red flag" — if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
"It's not anything new, but if someone offers you some kind of prize or something as a result of performing their survey or their poll, just back away from that," she said. "Because usually people ... they're not going to push to that extreme where they're going to offer you something in return."
As with any type of potential scam, she said people can use the Better Business Bureau's online Scam Tracker to check out businesses before donating or to file a report if they feel they are a victim of a scam.
When in doubt, it's better to be overly cautious.
"It may not be a scam, but be careful," Fox said.
Here's a list of other advice from the Better Business Bureau for protecting yourself against scams:
- Watch your email. If your email is overrun with political appeals, you're not alone. Be wary if you receive an email asking for a donation. Never click on a link in your email; use a trusted browser to research the organization and make sure it's legitimate.
- Exercise caution when you receive a phone call. You might receive a call asking you to answer a survey or register to vote. If the survey asks for personal identifiable information, such as your Social Security number or banking numbers, hang up the phone. Never hand out your personal information to someone reaching out via phone. Also, remember that no state offers voter registration by phone.
- Don't answer text messages. Scammers might text asking you to respond to a question or open a link for a survey or fundraiser. Your answer might prompt a call from the scammer using tactics to convince you that your accounts are compromised.
- View prizes and incentives as a red flag. If you're offered a prize or incentive for voting or completing a survey, watch out. Legitimate pollsters don't typically bribe for participation. Scammers could be trying to access your financial account information under the guise of a "prize."
- Know what you shouldn't be asked. Pollsters might ask for demographic information or what party you most align with. You shouldn't be asked for personal information like birth dates, Social Security numbers or financial information.
- Listen to your gut. If something seems strange, protect yourself and cease communication. When in doubt, check with your local election office.
