Election scams run rampant during voting season. No matter what candidate you support, chances are you will or have already received texts, phone calls, letters, or even knocks on your front door regarding the upcoming election. It’s safe to say that some of those messages may have been scams, sent by fraudsters who want to snag your personal information or money for their own use. Election scams can lead to identity theft, damage to credit, and more issues that can take weeks, months, or even years for victims to resolve on their own.
You can take proactive steps to protect yourself from election scams by knowing some of the most common fraud tactics, as well as what you can do if you become a victim of election-related identity theft.
How election misinformation is exploited by scammers
Identity thieves often use election data to deceive voters like you. If they can confuse you into taking action for what they call a “political cause,” they can get their hands on your private information. These are a few of the fraud methods that catch many people unaware during election season:
- Donations: Donation scams are the quickest, easiest way for fraudsters to steal your money. They may send a text or email containing a URL, where you can supposedly donate money by simply clicking the link. In reality, this link takes you to a fake website where you send your money directly to the scammer. If you would like to financially support a political candidate or event, use your internet search bar to find the official website or phone number.
- Voter registration: Let’s say you receive a text message claiming that you are not registered to vote. In order to register, you must click the link before a certain deadline! Think before you tap that link. Urgent language like “Act now” or “Register before a deadline” often means that a scammer is trying to scare you into making a hasty decision that gives them access to your info or money.
- Polls: Polls are often conducted via phone call or in-person visits. If you receive a text asking for personal information in order to conduct a survey, don’t respond. Use caution when answering poll questions, even if someone has knocked on your door. If questions seem too personal, say no thanks.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) deepfake is one of the more recent scams to become common during election season. There have been several instances where scammers use AI to clone a famous political person’s voice. They then use this fake voice to call people and deceive them into doing something because they believe the real person is contacting them.
Why election season is high-risk for identity theft
Election season is an exciting time when people more intensely feel the need to support their country by voting for the candidate that they believe in. That sense of duty and urgency is a noble sentiment, but a scammer can easily take advantage of it. They view your desire to help a good cause as an opportunity to trick you into helping their cause instead: stealing your identity and lining their own pockets with your money!
Think of the sheer volume of communications that flood in during election season: texts, emails, letters in your mailbox, phone calls, even visitors at your front door. Do you thoroughly review every letter or search for a link yourself before clicking on it in an email that you received? Your busy life likely keeps you from taking those extra steps, making it easier for a scammer to slip a fraudulent message in and catch you by surprise.
How 24/7 identity theft monitoring can protect you during election season
You are already busy, stressed, and wondering how you can exercise your voting rights to make the best decisions for your country. If you fall prey to a scammer and have your identity stolen on top of all that, you would have to deal with the time, money, and headaches that go hand in hand with resolving identity theft on your own.
That’s why real-time identity monitoring is essential during election season, so that you can rest easy knowing that a trusted service is keeping an eye on your private information for you. Continuous monitoring can catch suspicious activity early, helping to avoid the major havoc that identity theft could wreak on your life if it were to go unnoticed.
Simple steps to protect your identity during election season
It’s easier than you may think to be proactive in protecting your personal data during election season. You just have to take a few extra steps before you respond, including some of these ideas:
- Verify election-related information through state government websites before you act upon it.
- Never click on a link in a text or email that you weren’t expecting or don’t know who sent it.
- Use multi-factor authentication for online accounts. Strong, unique passwords for each account that you use are a great way to keep your log-in details safe from scammers and hackers.
One of the best methods to protect yourself from identity theft is to use identity and account monitoring for the information that you value most. A good monitoring service like IDShield keeps an eye on your personal information, alerting you if any suspicious activity is detected. IDShield also provides access to identity theft specialists who can educate you on best practices for security and next steps if you receive an alert. These are important services to have access to, not just during election season but during any time of the year.
Even with these proactive measures, it’s understandable if you still have questions about safeguarding your identity during election season. To help, we’ve answered some frequently asked questions that provide further insights.
Frequently asked questions about election scams and identity theft protection
What are the warning signs about election-related phishing emails?
Be cautious about any email that you receive, but especially emails that are poorly worded, contain spelling or grammar errors, come from a source that you don’t recognize, or urgently ask you to complete a certain action. Emails containing links are worth extra caution.
How can I tell if a voting website is real or fake?
Check to see if “https” is in the site URL, meaning that the website is secure. A legitimate URL may also say .org or .gov, meaning that an official organization has created the website. It’s also best practice to search for a certain website directly in your internet browser, instead of clicking a link that was sent to you in an email or text.
Can scammers use my voting history to steal my identity?
If a scammer has been able to learn who you’ve voted for in the past, they can use that to tailor their scam so that you will be more likely to fall for it.
What should I do if I receive a suspicious text, email, or phone call about voting?
You can visit the Federal Election Commission’s website at fec.gov/data to verify legitimacy. You can also report suspicious activity to the Federal Trade Commission, local election officials, and law enforcement. Choose to register to vote through official channels, and always guard your personal information.
What should I do if I suspect I’ve fallen victim to an election-related identity theft scam?
Contact your financial institutions so that they know to look out for transactions from the scammer pretending to be you. Change your passwords so that the scammer can’t further access your accounts, like social media, bank, and work. Review your credit reports from each major credit bureau and have the bureaus place credit alerts or freezes on your accounts. You can report the scam to your state attorney general at naag.org.
Can 24/7 identity theft protection really help during election season?
Yes! IDShield’s 24/7 monitoring keeps an eye on your accounts for you. We monitor your social media, financial accounts, the dark web, credit and more. If we detect suspicious activity, we send alerts so that you can review and decide the next course of action. If identity theft does occur, our Licensed Private Investigators are ready to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to restore your identity to its pre-theft status.
Take the next step!
Continuous protection means that, even when you’re busy or distracted, your identity is always being safeguarded. IDShield is here to protect your identity so that you can focus on voting for what matters during this election season.
- Learn why it’s important to check your credit report.
- Find out what you can do as data breaches evolve with artificial intelligence.
- Check out the identity protection plans that IDShield has to offer.
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. (“PPLSI”) provides access to identity theft services through membership-based participation. IDShield is a product of PPLSI. All Licensed Private Investigators are licensed in the state of Oklahoma. The information available in this blog is meant to provide general information and is not intended to provide professional advice, render an option, or provide any specific recommendations. The blog post is not a substitute for competent and professional advice. Information contained in the blog may be provided by authors who could be third-party paid contributors. All information by authors is accepted in good faith; however, PPLSI makes no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of such information.
