The Better Business Bureau warns that fake texts about donations, polls and voter registration are going around before Election Day, and one reply could cost you.
The Better Business Bureau is warning that scammers are sending fake political texts ahead of Election Day. The messages ask you to donate, take a poll or confirm your voter registration. The goal is to get your money or your personal information.
The text may seem to come from a candidate, a political group or another trusted institution. It often sounds urgent. Some messages promise a donation match, which is meant to rush you into acting before you think.
Another version claims there is a problem with your bank account after a political donation. If you respond, a caller may ask for your account information or password to look into the supposed charge. That call is the real trap. Other texts send you to fake websites built to collect personal details or payment information.
Anyone with a mobile phone could get one of these. Not every political text is a scam, so there is no need to panic. Still, an unfamiliar message deserves caution. A text that uses your name or other personal details is not proof that it is real.
The alert box above lists the steps to take. In short, do not rely on the link in the text. Look up the campaign or election office yourself.
The BBB notice does not say how many people have been targeted, how much money has been lost or which campaigns are being imitated. For more, visit BBB.org/canton or call 330-454-9401.
Treat any unexpected political text as suspect, even if it uses your name, and go to the real campaign or election office yourself.
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