Presidential elections draw the biggest voter turnouts nationwide, and this year will likely be no exception as national, state and local campaigns ramp up their outreach to voters.
Cybersecurity experts say the last few weeks leading up to Election Day will see an increase in scammers wanting to take advantage of the election enthusiasm.
“It’s like a sinking feeling in your stomach to think, ‘Oh, they got me’,” said Nikolas Behar, cybersecurity professor at the University of San Diego.
Behar said he didn't mind sharing the fact that he may have fallen victim to a scam several years ago. Election scams may come at you through a phone call, email or text.
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Donation xcams top the list, according to Behar. Your favorite electoral campaign seemingly reaches out to you for financial support but it turns out, it’s not really them but, rather, an impostor trying to grab your money.
“If somebody’s asking for a donation to a particular campaign, go directly to the campaign’s website and donate via the website,” said Behar.
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Voter-registration scams typically are not after your money. Instead, the focus is usually on grabbing as much personal information as possible. Remember: You can’t register to vote over the phone, so hang up right away if you get one of these calls.
Election survey scams are also making their rounds this election cycle. A random person will contact you and ask for information about your vote. It may start innocently enough but eventually becomes more intrusive.
“Asking to get your opinion on a particular issue or to conduct a poll — they shouldn't be asking for any personal information," Behar said. "They should only be asking for information related to their research.”
The cybersecurity professor adds that there is also a lot of disinformation and AI deep fakes spread over social media trying to sway your vote one way. You should confirm with multiple news sources before accepting them as true.
Regardless of your political affiliation or how involved you are this election cycle, it’s always a good practice to never click on any links you unexpectedly may receive via text or email. Also, never give out personal information to anyone contacting you out of the blue, even if they’re from your favorite campaign looking for your donation or vote on Nov. 5.
