How to Spot and Avoid Political Donation Scams

Summary

Political donation scammers impersonate candidates or parties through calls, texts, emails, fake sites, and surveys to steal money or personal information. Verify requests through official channels and avoid sharing information with unverified contacts.

Key points

• Scammers may use robocalls, texts, emails, and cloned politician voices to make fraudulent donation requests seem authentic.
• Fake campaign websites can solicit donations through wire transfers, gift cards, or payment apps such as Venmo or Zelle.
• Voter-registration offers and fake surveys may be used to collect personal or payment information for identity theft or fraud.
• Ignore unsolicited requests and verify donation links by visiting the candidate’s official website or contacting their office directly.
• The article recommends using a credit card for donations and pausing to verify urgent requests before sending money or sharing personal information.

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