Fraud Alerts/PSAs
October 14, 2016: Political Donation Scam Pops Up During Election Season
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.
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