Political Scams Are on the Rise, as Is Their Success Rate |
“Answer this poll.”
“Are you registered to vote?”
“Jenny, It’s Kamala Harris here.”
Susan J, a lab member’s grandmother, is one of the millions of people who were targeted by scammers impersonating politicians or campaigns last year. Smart, politically active, and eager to make her voice heard, she’s donated to candidates she supports for years and frequently takes the time to respond to political polls. But in early January, she learned firsthand that not all political outreach is as it seems. Election season was already heating up in Susan’s home state of Virginia months ahead of November. With a special election in January and gubernatorial primaries scheduled for June, political messages began flooding residents’ phones and inboxes as early as December.
Susan received a phone call from what appeared to be a legitimate campaign asking for a donation to support the candidate she cared about. The call sounded genuine—too genuine, exactly like many legitimate........