Statewide Iowa — With just over thirty days until the election and Tuesday night’s presidential debate fresh on our minds, we’re being warned to be on the lookout for scammers pretending to be pollsters, campaign volunteers, fundraisers — and even candidates.
Bao Vang, at the Better Business Bureau, says the crooks can be convincing.
(As above) “If you have been a victim, it’s so unfortunate,” Vang says, “Please let us know if you suspect this is happening in your community, head to our website, it’s bbb.org/scamtracker.”
The site allows users to zoom in on the state of Iowa and various towns, showing where scams are being reported and what types. Nationwide, there are reports of 215-thousand scams, with dozens of them in Iowa.
(As above) “With all of our eyes and ears tuned into the 2020 presidential election, there is no doubt scammers are, too,” she says. “They’re opportunists and they follow the headlines so they’re using fake political fundraising calls to trick us into donating to a favorite candidate.”
Vang says common political fraud involves polling calls with fake prize offers, fraudulent fundraising calls and people impersonating candidates asking for contributions. She recommends donating directly to a campaign’s office — and never give your credit card or personal information out over the phone.
Again that website is bbb.org/scamtracker.
