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Scam Alert: Political Robocall Scams

Published Friday Feb 28, 2020

Scam Alert: Political Robocall Scams

Let's face it, the 2020 presidential election, even after the NH primary has come and gone, is impossible to ignore. But voters aren’t the only ones paying attention. According to recent BBB Scam Tracker reports, scammers are using phony political fundraising calls to trick Americans into “donating” to a favorite candidate.

How the Scam Works

You receive a robocall and answer the phone. It’s a recorded voice – perhaps even one that sounds just like one of the presidential candidates. According to the recording, rivals have been raising a lot of money. In order to see your favorite candidate elected, you need to donate… immediately.   

If you offer to give, you’ll be transferred to a live person and asked for your credit card information. But your money won’t go to support the political cause. Instead, the phony caller will make off with your money and/or personal information that could then be used for identity theft. As the 2020 election campaign heats up, be on the lookout for more versions of this con.

Avoiding Robocall Scams

  • Screen your calls. If a call comes in from a number you don’t recognize, don’t answer. Even if the number looks familiar, be wary. Check the number on Whitepages.com (a BBB Accredited Business) to see if it’s been flagged with a fraud alert.
  • Don’t respond to unsolicited robocalls. If you receive an unsolicited robocall that seems to come from a legitimate business, be cautious. Scammers can fake caller ID, and businesses are only allowed to call you via robocall with your written permission. If someone is calling you out of the blue, it’s most likely a scam. The best practice is to hang up the phone without interacting with the call. Don’t “press 1 to be removed from our list;” that just confirms to the scammer that your number is good.

Read more at BBB.com.

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