Political fundraising scams can be especially difficult to spot, as the scammers make every effort to appear legitimate.
Red flags
To spot a political fundraising scam, be on the lookout for these red flags:
Fundraising email is riddled with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes
Caller is excessively pushy and urges you to make an immediate donation
Caller or email insists on payment by specific means, such as a wire transfer or prepaid debit card
Caller or email asks you to share personal information when making a donation
Email is sent from an insecure domain
Email is sent from a domain not having a legitimate online presence
If you’d like to donate
If you’d like to make a donation to your favored campaign or cause, it’s best to 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.
Never share personal information on the phone or online with an unverified contact.
Be cautious of phone solicitations for donations.
Research any cause you’d like to donate toward beforehand by researching them at FEC.gov and/or the Center for Responsive Politics.
Don’t donate to a PAC that does not ask for your citizenship status.
When donating funds, it’s best to use a credit card.
If you spot a scam
If you believe you’ve spotted a political fundraising scam, it’s important to report it to the appropriate authorities. The FBI urges all citizens to report any election scams to a local FBI field office as soon as possible.
If appropriate, you can also utilize any in-platform tools provided by social media companies for reporting suspicious posts that appear to be disseminating false or inconsistent information about voting and elections.
Finally, it’s best to warn your friends about the circulating scam so they don’t fall victim to it themselves. This election season, vote no for scams!
See more info at: https://www.southpointfinancial.com/political-fundraising-scams/
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