FBI Warns of AI Election Scams Before 2026 Midterms

Scammers are impersonating political candidates and campaigns ahead of the 2026 U.S. midterm election, using realistic messages, images and cloned voices to steal money or personal information. Households should independently verify donation requests, voter-registration warnings and political merchandise offers before responding.

What happened

The FBI warned that fraudsters could exploit the midterm election through fake campaign communications, according to Help Net Security. The schemes can borrow a candidate’s name, logo or slogans to appear legitimate.

Some scammers ask for campaign contributions or sell political merchandise that is never delivered. Others falsely describe a donation as an investment in a campaign pool, promising that contributors will receive a return if the candidate wins. The FBI emphasized that real campaign donations do not increase in value or get returned to the donor.

Another scheme uses a text or email claiming that the recipient is not registered to vote. The included link leads to a fake state registration page designed to collect personal information that may later be used for identity theft or additional fraud.

Artificial intelligence can make these approaches more convincing. The FBI said scammers can generate voices, images and written messages that imitate candidates, campaigns, government agencies or trusted people. A polished message or familiar-sounding voice should not be treated as proof that a request is genuine. Our AI voice-cloning scam guide explains additional warning signs and verification habits.

Who is affected

The warning applies to people across the United States, regardless of political affiliation. According to the report, similar fraud has previously exploited state and local elections as well.

Anyone receiving an unexpected donation request, voter-registration warning or campaign merchandise offer could be targeted. People may face financial loss, undelivered purchases or theft of personally identifiable information.

What to do now

1. Do not use the link in an unexpected political text or email. Open a new browser tab and type the candidate’s official website address yourself. For voter-registration questions, type vote.gov directly into the address bar.

2. Verify donation requests independently. Look up the campaign through a source you find yourself, such as the Federal Election Commission website. Do not rely on phone numbers, websites or contact details supplied in the original message.

3. Reject any promise of investment returns from a campaign contribution. The FBI says political donations are not investments and will not pay you back after an election.

4. Pause when a message creates urgency or a strong emotional reaction. A convincing voice, image or message can be generated with AI. Contact the campaign through independently located details before paying or sharing information.

5. Report misleading election information on X. Open the post’s reporting menu and select Civic Integrity when a post gives potentially false information about how, where or when to vote. X said those reports may lead to a Community Note or a label when content violates its rules.