Election-themed texts, emails and calls are directing people to fake voter-registration pages, fraudulent donation sites and bogus surveys, according to Malwarebytes. These messages can cost a household money or expose personal information that criminals may use for further fraud. A familiar candidate’s name, official-looking logo or urgent deadline does not prove a request is legitimate.
What happened
Malwarebytes described several election-related schemes designed to make recipients click, pay or disclose personal details. One fraudulent text borrowed wording from Minnesota’s real permanent absentee voter service and offered to put a ballot on “autopilot,” but its link did not lead to the legitimate service.
Other messages claim that a person is not registered, has incomplete information or is about to lose voter registration. Malwarebytes noted that the FBI has warned about messages leading to fraudulent registration pages that collect personal information instead of helping people register.
Scammers also impersonate candidates and political fundraising groups. Their appeals may use a candidate’s photo, familiar campaign language, countdowns or claims that a donation will be matched. The money goes to criminals rather than the organization the donor intended to support.
Political surveys create another opening. A caller may promise a prize after asking questions, then request a credit card to cover shipping, taxes or another supposed fee. Other election messages claim the recipient owes a fine or must resolve an official voting issue through a supplied link, phone number or QR code.
Who is affected
Anyone receiving an unexpected election-related text, email or call could be targeted. The risk is especially relevant to people registering to vote, requesting an absentee ballot, donating to a campaign, responding to political polls or buying political merchandise.
The source does not disclose how many Americans have lost money or information through these specific campaigns. However, both the FBI and Better Business Bureau have issued warnings cited by Malwarebytes about fraudulent registration pages, impersonated fundraising requests and prize-based political polls.
What to do now
Check registration through the election authority directly. Open a new browser window and navigate to your official state or local election authority’s website yourself. Do not use the link in an unexpected registration or absentee-ballot message.
Find campaign donation pages independently. Search for the candidate or organization’s official website, open its donation page from there and confirm who will receive the payment. Ignore countdowns and matching-donation claims until you verify them.
Decline polls that request payment details. A surprise prize does not justify providing a credit card number for shipping, taxes or fees. End the call or close the message without paying.
Verify fines or voting duties through official contacts. Use contact information from the relevant authority’s official website. Do not call the number or scan the QR code supplied in the message. See CyberSec24’s guide to QR code and text-message scams for additional checking steps.
Slow down before sharing personal information. Treat urgent claims about canceled registration, missed deadlines or penalties as unverified until you check them through an official channel. Do not reply to the original sender while investigating.
Sources
- Five election scams to watch out for — Malwarebytes Labs
Written by the CyberSec24 news desk with AI assistance, from the sources above. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll correct it.