Robocall scams get political
- Kim Thompson: Better Business Bureau
- March 4, 2020
- 1506
Between the political ads and the news coverage, the 2020 presidential election 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.
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, which can be used for identity theft. As the 2020 election campaign heats up, be on the lookout for more versions of this con.
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 www.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 their list.” That just confirms to the scammer your number is good.
Register with the Do Not Call Registry. This step won’t prevent scammers from calling you, but it will reduce the number of legitimate marketing calls you receive, which will make it easier to identify the fraudulent ones. To register, call 888-382-1222 or go online at www.Donotcall.gov.
To learn more about how to avoid robocall scams, read www.BBB.org/RoboCall. For more information on robocalls, visit www.Consumer.ftc.gov. Click on Privacy, Identity & Online Security and then Limiting Unwanted Calls & Emails.
If you’ve been the victim of a robocall scam, report it on www.BBB.org/ScamTracker. By doing so, you can help others protect themselves from falling prey to similar scams. Learn more about scams at www.BBB.org/ScamTips and learn how to avoid them at www.BBB.org/AvoidScams.
Visit www.bbb.org/canton or call 330-454-9401 to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, read tips, follow on social media and more.