NEED TO KNOW NEWSLETTER | NOVEMBER 2024

Election Scams and Fraud
Free and honest elections are a cornerstone for America. Unfortunately, scammers and cybercriminals take advantage of high-profile events, like an election. These occasions present opportunities for threat actors to steal money and personal data from the public. It is important for voters to be aware of how their information is being used and to protect themselves from criminal misuse. Election years often see a surge in scams.

Common Election Scams
During election season communications spike, and campaigns use robocalls and text to reach voters and solicit donations. You’ve probably already received a lot of these messages, which makes election season a holiday for threat actors. There's a lot of messages flying around and a lot of people sending money. Threat actors will imitate legitimate campaigns to steal your information and persuade you to send them money. This means that fraud is at an all-time high during election season.

Fake Election Websites:
Imposters set up fake campaign websites and media pages pretending to be high-profile candidates. Threat actors use these fake sites and profiles to solicit donations, run fake campaigns, and coordinate attacks. Victims are more likely to believe communications that look like they come from official sources. Fake Voter Signups: Threat actors will solicit your information by claiming that they are registering you to vote. Voter registration requires sensitive information like name and address, which is valuable to scammers.

Fake Online Voting: In the United States, online voting is prohibited in federal elections. Any website or message that claims you can vote solely online
is a scam. You must vote in person or submit a valid absentee ballot.

Contact Requests: Threat actors pose as candidates or campaign representatives, contacting you via email, text, or automated
calls. They aim to confirm your active contact information so they can spam you with phishing messages or sell your information to other scammers.

Donation Requests: Threat actors send messages asking for real donations for their fake campaigns. They will often use highly emotional language to intimidate you into donating or claim that they need you to respond right away. Pressure tactics are a key indicator of social engineering. Don’t fall victim to it.

Data Verification Requests: Threat actors impersonate authorities and ask you to verify your voter registration or polling place. They steal any information you send them and use them to launch further phishing attacks

Protect Yourself: Caution and Common Sense are your best defense against election scams

Don’t respond to unsolicited messages. Particularly text, email, and social media messages. Never give out your personal information to unauthorized people. If you want to get involved with a campaign or donate to a legitimate candidate, only do so through their official campaign website. Before you vote, consult official state and government sites. The office of the county auditor will have information to find your polling place, how to register to vote, and how to request an absentee ballot.