Five election scams to watch out for

Elections give scammers plenty to work with: urgent deadlines, familiar faces, passionate supporters, and messages asking people to take action. Some want you to “fix” your voter registration. Others want a donation, an answer to a survey, or payment for merchandise supposedly endorsed by your favorite politician. The details change, but the objective stays the same: get your money, your personal information , or both. Here are five election-themed scams to watch out for. Scam 1. “We’ll help you vote” Not every election-themed lure starts with a threat. Some offer to make voting easier. “Get your ballot on autopilot,” reads one text message we reviewed. It encourages recipients to join a permanent absentee list so their ballots arrive at home for every election, adding the reassuring words: “Verified. Tracked. Counted.” A voting-assistance text message reviewed by Scam Guard The message is a scam, though it borrows the language of a real Minnesota voting service. Minnesota does have a permanent absentee voter list, but the link in this text is fraudulent. To check or sign up, go directly to your election authority’s official website. Other messages take the opposite approach: instead of offering convenience, they warn that you could lose your chance to vote. A message might say you are not registered to vote, your details are incomplete, or your registration is about to be cancelled. Then it offers a link to sort everything out. The FBI recently warned about messages that send recipients to fraudulent voter-registration pages. Instead of helping people vote, these sites collect personal information that criminals can use for further fraud. In Brazil, scammers used a fake WhatsApp account with the Superior Electoral Court’s logo. It claimed to be the court’s “Customer Service Department” (which doesn’t exist) and told people to download an app called “Soluciona Pendência,” roughly translated as “Resolve an outstanding issue.” The message falsely warned that people could lose access to banking or government services. Scam 2. “Donate now to help your candidate win” A fundraising appeal arrives just as an election reaches a critical moment. It uses the candidate’s photograph, familiar campaign language, and an urgent request for money. That does not necessarily mean the campaign sent it. The FBI warns that scammers impersonate candidates and political fundraising organizations to collect supposed campaign contributions. Victims believe they are supporting a legitimate organization, but the money goes to criminals instead. Before donating, find the campaign or organization’s official website yourself and check who will receive the payment. Don’t let a countdown, a matching-donation claim, or a message about an impending defeat rush your decision. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises researching political fundraising requests and resisting pressure to act immediately. Scam 3. “Take our political survey and claim your reward” Not every political poll is suspicious. But a request for your opinion can also be an opening for a scam. The BBB warns about fraudulent polling calls that promise a prize in exchange for answering questions. After the “survey,” the caller asks for credit card information to cover shipping, taxes, or other costs associated with the supposed reward. At that point, the questions about candidates have served their purpose: keeping you engaged long enough to introduce a payment request. Other election-themed messages ask people to complete surveys through links. Treat those links with the same caution you would an unexpected donation or registration request. A familiar political organization’s name does not establish who operates the website. You can decline an unsolicited poll. You should not need to hand over payment details simply to share your political views or claim a surprise reward. Unsure where a link goes? We’ll check it. Scam 4. “Pay this electoral fine” or “Report for election duty” Few things make a message feel urgent quite like an official-looking demand backed by a possible penalty. Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) has warned about messages falsely claiming people had an unresolved voting issue. The messages link to fake government websites designed to steal personal information or trick people into paying. Brazil does have legitimate electoral fines, which can be paid through official channels, including Pix. So a fine or Pix request alone doesn’t prove a message is a scam. If a message says you owe money or must perform election duty, check with the relevant authority using contact details from its official website. Don’t use the message’s phone number, link, or QR code . Scam 5. Your favorite politician “wants you to buy this” A politician’s name can be used to sell more than a political message. Criminals use candidates’ names, photographs, logos, and slogans to advertise merchandise that never arrives. What looks like a way to support a candidate becomes an ordinary shopping scam wrapped in campaign branding. Apply the same skepticism to a “commemorative,” “patriotic,” or supposedly collectible product advertised using a politician’s name. Before buying, ask: Is the seller actually affiliated with the politician or campaign? What, exactly, are you buying? Is there evidence for claims about the product’s quality, usefulness, or future value? What are the total price, refund terms, and any recurring charges? A product does not become useful, valuable, or a sound investment because an ad places it beside a politician’s photograph. Nor does a photograph prove that the politician endorsed it. There is also a difference between a product you consider poor value and a fraudulent offer. A product being poor value doesn’t automatically make it a scam. Look for clear deception: a fake endorsement, false claims, hidden fees, or an order that never arrives. How to stay safe from election scams You don’t need to work out every detail of a suspicious message before deciding whether to act on it. Verify the message through a route the sender does not control. Go directly to official election websites to check registration, voting requirements, deadlines, and alleged penalties. Verify donation requests independently. Find the campaign or organization yourself and confirm where your money will go. Keep payment details out of unsolicited surveys. A political poll that turns into a request to pay for a prize is a red flag. Check sellers before buying political merchandise. A candidate’s name or logo does not authenticate the shop. Don’t mistake personal details for proof. A message can contain accurate information about you and still be a scam. Keep political choices separate from requests for money or personal information. You can support a cause without responding to an unexpected message. Use real-time web protection to help block known malicious websites. Malwarebytes blocks integmn.com Pro tip: Unsure whether a message is a scam? Check it with Malwarebytes’ Scam Guard for an assessment and advice on what to do next. Something feel off? Check it before you click. Malwarebytes Scam Guard helps you analyze suspicious links, texts, and screenshots instantly. Available with Malwarebytes Premium Security for all your devices, and in the Malwarebytes app for iOS and Android . Try it free → About the author Was a Microsoft MVP in consumer security for 12 years running. Can speak four languages. Smells of rich mahogany and leather-bound books.