BBB Warns of Political Robocall Scams

BBB Warns of Political Robocall Scams

With the 2020 presidential election beginning to take center stage, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning citizens of scammers posing as political fundraisers to trick people into “donating” to their candidate.

The Scam

According to the BBB, citizens receive a robocall and answer the phone. It’s a recorded voice – perhaps even one that sounds just like one of the candidates.  

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

According to the recording, rivals have been raising a lot of money. In order to see your 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 caller will make off with your money and/or personal information that can be used for identity theft. As the 2020 election campaign heats up, be on the lookout for more versions of this con.

How to Avoid Robocall Scams

• 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 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. Best practice is to hang up the phone without interacting with the call. Don’t “press 1 to be removed from our list;” that just confirms to the scammer that 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. If you live in the United States, call 888-382-1222 or register online at Donotcall.gov. If you live in Canada, visit the National Do Not Call List.