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AlertScam alert · Voting2 min read

Text says you're not registered to vote? It may be a scam

Scam texts claim your voter registration is missing and push a link to a fake page that collects personal details. Check your status yourself instead.

By the Dashline deskSource: Facebook
Text says you're not registered to vote? It may be a scam
Photo: James Sutton jamessutton_photography, CC0
Act this week
What happenedScammers are sending texts claiming you are not registered to vote, with links to fake voter registration pages meant to steal personal information.
Who is affectedAnyone with a mobile phone who gets election-related texts, especially voters checking their registration before an election.
What to do
  1. 1Do not tap the link or reply to the text.
  2. 2Type your state or local election office website into your browser yourself.
  3. 3Check your registration status only on that official site.
  4. 4Delete the text and report it as spam or junk on your phone.

A text message telling you that you are not registered to vote may be a scam. Warnings are circulating about texts that say a voter registration is missing or not valid. The message includes a link. That link can lead to a fake registration page built to collect your personal information.

Why it works

Voting is something many people care about, and no one wants to find out they were left off the rolls. A message like this creates worry and a sense of hurry. That is the point. Scammers want you to tap before you think. The fake page then asks for personal details, and those details can be misused.

Who it affects

Anyone with a mobile phone who gets election-related texts could see one. Voters who are checking their registration before an election may be the most likely to believe it. If you were not expecting a text about your registration, treat it with extra care.

What to do

The alert box above lists the steps. The short version: do not use the link in the text, and check your status only through your state or local election office, reached by typing the address yourself. Then delete the message and report it as spam.

What is not known yet

The material does not say who is behind these texts, how many people have received them, or which states are being targeted. It also does not say what the fake pages look like. Until more is known, the safest rule is simple. A text that tells you to act on your voter registration is not proof of anything. Pause before you click.

The takeaway

Never trust a text about your voter registration. Check your status yourself on your official state or local election office website.

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