With the 2024 Presidential Election just days away, you might be hearing a lot of political chatter on the news, online, and among those you socialize with. While this might be an exciting or nerve-wracking time, one thing remains true for all voters alike – scammers are getting more desperate to try and scam you out of your personal information and hard-earned money as their chance to use the election as a disguise withers away.

As we mentioned in our recent blog post covering political scams, advances in technology, and especially in artificial intelligence (AI), can make some of these scams harder to spot. These scams can take place in many forms, and although most will take place online, it’s important to remain vigilant even on the phone or with someone standing right in front of you. While you’re taking the time to learn some last-minute facts about our presidential candidates, take some time to learn about these last-minute attempts that scammers will make to defraud you ahead of the election.

Cybersecurity Election Scams

Technological advancement is good, but like anything else – can also have a downside, especially when malicious actors try to use it to their advantage and to your detriment.

• AI-Related Scams: As we mentioned a few weeks ago, deepfakes – which are videos or audio recordings that seem realistic but are fabricated, can be deployed to attempt to induce someone to perform a certain action. An example of a deepfake in action is receiving an AI-generated robocall that is impersonating a presidential candidate with the intent of spreading misinformation. This robocall might attempt to influence or sway the person on the receiving end of the call to cast their vote in a different manner based on misinformation. The Federal Communications Commission has outlawed robocalls featuring AI-generated voices, citing the exploitation of the technology and how it can mislead and deceive voters. Despite these calls now being illegal, voters should remain wary and skeptical of any calls depicting the voice of a presidential candidate since scammers are continually pushing the limits of what this technology can do.
• Voter Registration Scams: If you are reading this post, it’s most likely too late to register to vote in the 2024 Presidential Election based on state voter registration deadlines. Additionally, you can only register to vote online, by mail, or in person at a local election office or motor vehicle services office – never over the phone or on-the-spot. Keep this in mind should a scammer approach you over the phone or in person claiming that they can register you to vote last-minute, just days before the 2024 Presidential Election. The scam plays out like this: a scammer reaches out with links to fake voter registration forms or asks you to download an app to register to vote. The fake voter registration forms would steal your personal information, and the malicious app could steal your payment information or log-in credentials. It is always best practice to go in-person or mail your voter registration in yourself.

Other Election Scams

• Scam PACs: A scammer might also attempt to inspire you to donate to the cause as a “last-ditch effort” to get your presidential pick elected. Political Action Committees (commonly referred to as PACs) pool contributions from donors to support a common cause, whether that is a certain policy initiative or to support the election of a particular candidate running for office. The FBI urges voters to research candidates and their causes before donating, or you could be donating to a fake PAC. Fraudsters can reach out to you via any medium, asking you to donate to support a candidate or cause, when the money is truly for their own personal gain. Additionally, the scammer might display a sense of urgency persuading you to donate, citing that this is your “last chance” to help your candidate get elected. The FBI encourages voters to reference the Federal Election Commission to confirm if a PAC you would like to donate to is registered, to check what their expenditures are on, and to see how long they have been established. You can also go directly to a candidate’s website to learn how to donate and support their campaign if you are skeptical. In the case of protecting your hard-earned money or personal information, it is always worth going the extra mile and doing the research to ensure you are really donating to the political candidate or cause.
• Fake Surveys and Polls: Election surveys and opinion polls are commonplace during election season. However – be wary of who contacts you, how they contact you, and what type of information they are requesting from you. You can be contacted over phone, email, or text by a person claiming to be administering a survey and collecting the needed information. Although being asked certain demographic information is common, you should never be asked to provide personally identifiable information, such as your Social Security Number or birthdate. Scammers administering these fake surveys and polls may also display a sense of urgency, so always be vigilant as to whether that common red flag is present. Additionally, never click on links in unsolicited emails or text messages, as you could be downloading malicious software or providing your personal information to a bad actor. Lastly, scammers administering fake surveys and polls have been known to promise a reward for completing the survey or requesting credit card numbers prior to sending your prize. Most organizations administering opinion polls do not provide a reward for participation, and no legitimate organization will ask for your credit card number.

With the Presidential Election nearly here, we know it could be easy to get caught up with information overload and miss out on red flags where a scammer is trying to defraud you. By following the above tips, you can help to prevent any fraud or identity theft from happening to you this election season. Keep Thinking First!

Think You’ve Been Scammed?

At First Financial, our number one priority is helping you protect your important personal and financial information. To stay on top of critical alerts and common scams, be sure to subscribe to our First Scoop Blog! If you believe your personal or financial information has been compromised by a scammer, please contact us at 732.312.1500 or visit one of our branches.