ATLANTA — With just over 50 days until the election, people are being bombarded with scam emails, texts and calls seeking donations for political candidates.
Scammers are on the prowl, making a fortune as they take advantage of voters who are tasked with choosing the country's next leader.
“I think it's easily in the millions with these scam operations,” said Shanna Ports, the senior legal counsel for the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center.
The nonprofit is a watchdog group monitoring the emails and texts that people receive.
“Telephone calls, especially robot calls, and text messages have become a favorite method for scammers to ask for money. My advice is always to slow down," Ports added.
According to call-blocking service Robokiller, Americans received a record of 15 billion political texts in 2022. Many texts came from political action committees, known as PACS, which raise and contribute money to candidates’ campaigns.
But "scam PACS" give little to none of the proceeds to candidates they claim to support.
Ports added that the scammers frequently latch on to issues that make people want to open their wallets.
“We have scams reported to be PACS that are going to help politicians that want to support cancer research. They can pick the issues that pull at people’s heartstrings and make people want to donate immediately without hearing more,” she said.
Any PAC that raises or spends more than $1,000 a year must register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Here's how to avoid getting scammed while making political donations:
Ports advise people to request a mailed form to donate instead of paying over the phone or through an online link.
“You can make a pledge over the phone and say I intend to give you money, but I do want to do it by mail,” she said. “If you want to be absolutely sure of who you are giving to, take your time and do your homework."
If the PAC is required to register through the Federal Election Commission, you can check the Finance Data to see where the money is going.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns that other types of scammers may send you a text or email with a link to make a donation.
But that link may be an attempt to access your bank account or credit card information and gain remote access to your computer.
The BBB suggests you ignore or block calls and texts from unfamiliar numbers. It also recommends forwarding suspicious texts to 7726 and filing complaints with the BBB and the FCC.
To donate without getting scammed, it's best to go directly through the official political campaign.
Secure sites usually have an "s" at the end of "https."
Scammers can still create pages with similar names, confusing those who want to donate.
Lastly, donate with a credit card, as charges are easier to dispute if something goes wrong.
To learn more about PACs, visit here.