⚠️ TEXT SCAM WARNING: A text says your voter registration needs fixing. Check before you tap.

The fake registration problem is the hook

According to the FBI, one election-related scheme tells a recipient they are not registered in their state. The message sends them to a site posing as a state voter-registration service, where information they enter can be stolen and potentially used for identity theft or further fraud.

A genuine state election site may need personal details to provide registration services. The warning sign is being pushed to an unverified page by an unexpected message, not simply seeing a form. To check your status, open vote.gov or use USAGov's registration-status guide to reach your state's election website without following the incoming link.

Sources: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center · USAGov

A familiar campaign name is not proof of who is asking

The same FBI alert describes fake political-action-committee donation requests, political merchandise that never ships, and investment-pool offers falsely tied to a candidate's victory. Scammers can copy campaign names, slogans and logos. The agency also warns that convincing AI-generated voices or messages can support impersonation.

Not every political fundraising call or text is fraudulent. But a persuasive voice, branded message or displayed phone number does not establish who controls the request. Caller ID can be spoofed, meaning the displayed number can be made to look like someone else's.

Sources: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center · Federal Trade Commission

The promised election payout is a different red flag

In the campaign investment-pool pitch described by the FBI, scammers tell people that contributing money to a candidate-linked pool will produce guaranteed returns after an election win. The agency gives this direct rule:

Political donations are contributions, not investments. Anyone presenting a political contribution as a guaranteed money-making opportunity deserves an immediate stop and independent scrutiny.

Sources: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center

Four checks before opening a link or sending money

1. Check registration outside the text.

   Type vote.gov yourself and follow the link to your state, or contact the state or local election office using its published information.

2. Confirm the fundraiser's identity.

   For a federal candidate or committee, search FEC committee records and review filings, then confirm the payment route through a separately found official campaign site. FEC registration alone does not certify a solicitation.

3. Ignore guaranteed-return promises.

   A pitch offering financial profit because a candidate wins is not an ordinary campaign donation.

4. Pause before sharing details.

   Take time to check unsolicited requests. Share identity or payment details only after reaching the intended organization through an independently verified route.

Sources: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center · Federal Election Commission · USAGov · Federal Trade Commission

If you clicked, shared information or sent money

If you entered a password, change it on the actual account and enable two-factor authentication. If you disclosed your Social Security number, use IdentityTheft.gov to get the appropriate protective steps. Check your voter-registration status directly through your state election office instead of assuming a message changed it.

If money was sent, contact your bank, card issuer or payment service immediately and ask whether the transaction can be reversed. Recovery is not guaranteed. Save the original message, sender details and any payment records. The FBI asks people to report election-related scams to IC3.gov; suspected fraud can also be reported to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

PhoneYa can help you look up and report a suspicious number for community context, but it cannot authenticate a campaign, an election office or a caller. A spoofed number may also belong to an uninvolved person.

Sources: Federal Trade Commission · FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center · USAGov