Fraud Alerts/PSAs

October 14, 2016: Political Donation Scam Pops Up During Election Season

En Español

If you plan on donating to your favorite politician this election season, make sure it’s the candidate and not a crook seeking your cash. 

In the political donation scam, thieves pose as campaign workers who call people looking for contributions. The fraudsters can spoof a candidate’s phone number and even use recordings of the politician or a purported virtual town hall to make the ruse appear legitimate.

At the end of the call, the thief will ask victims to make a pledge by providing a credit card.

TIPS:

  • Do not provide credit card information over the phone to an unknown entity
  • If you want to contribute to a politician’s campaign, go to the official website or call the candidate’s campaign headquarters 

Prosecutor Ben Forer warns about the scam in this video: http://vimeo.com/184432457

Follow @LADAOffice on Twitter for up-to-date news and use #FraudFriday.