SAN ANTONIO — Schemers know elections are polarizing, so they are taking this opportunity to cheat people out of their vote, money, and personal information. Transaction Network Services said Texas alone received more than 100,000 robocalls the last week of October. Do not fall for it! Here is what to watch for:
MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT
Make sure your vote is really counted. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) said has gotten reports of fraudsters encouraging people to vote by text.
“In this scenario, you know, rather than voting in person, why don’t you text us your vote or there is a link that makes it seem so real,” said Jason Meza of the San Antonio area BBB. “They try their hardest to con you into texting your vote. Simple. Easy, but with the midterm election cybersecurity issues, it’s not a real thing. Don’t believe the hype. You really cannot text your vote in.”
Also do not believe any messages that polling places are moving locations or closing early.
“Those are the kinds of things you want to be suspicious of and always check back with authoritative sources to validate that information is accurate,” said John Haraburda, who is the head of the Identity and Protection Unit for Transaction Network Services.
ONLY GIVE OPINIONS IN POLLS
Think twice about participating in any exit polls. Sharing your opinion could lead to oversharing your personal information.
“We’re getting reports of deceptive polls,” Meza said. “What’s your opinion on this? And in that data grab they’re trying to get a lot of sensitive information, stuff you don’t need to give. We’re talking birthdates, maybe even Social Security numbers. These are things you don’t really need to reveal to give an opinion on a survey.”
BE CAREFUL OF DONATION REQUESTS
Plus, keep your money safe by being careful with your donations. Schemers often imitate candidates and political action groups but the money only goes into fraudsters’ pockets.
Be safe and do not click any links sent by text or email. That will stop malware from being installed on your devices and make sure you do not get sent to unsecure websites that could steal your personal information. Instead, look up the official website yourself. You can also hover your mouse over hyperlinks and compare the web address that pops up with the legitimate web address. Plus, just hang up on unsolicited calls. Report any suspicious activity to the BBB's Scam Tracker.
Go to KENS 5’s voters’ guide to get legitimate information on the election.