Scam Examples Secria

Election and political scam texts

The FBI warns that scammers are using the 2026 midterms to pose as candidates, PACs and election offices, for your money or your identity.1

+1 (202) 555-0129

Text Message
Today 9:41 AM

Voter Services: our records show you are not registered to vote1 in the 2026 election. Re-register now at state-voter-check.example.org2. Have your Social Security and driver's license numbers ready.3

  1. A text or email out of the blue saying you aren't registered to vote. The FBI describes exactly this.1
  2. A link to a fake state registration page.1
  3. Personal details. The FBI says the goal is identity theft and future fraud.1

What to do Don't tap the link. Check your registration at vote.gov, typed in yourself.1

Rebuilt from the FBI's description; the wording, address and number are made up. Checked 29 October 2026 against the sources.

Four schemes the FBI describes

From its 15 October 2026 alert. Scammers may also use AI to make voices, images and messages look real.1

  1. "You're not registered to vote."A text or email sends you to a fake state registration page that collects your personal information.1
  2. The campaign investment pool.A promised, guaranteed return on money put into a pool that pays out if a candidate wins, with a bigger share for recruiting others.1
  3. The ScamPAC.You think you're giving to a real PAC or campaign committee. The people asking have no tie to it and keep the money.1
  4. The merchandise that never ships.Political merchandise is sold online and never delivered.1

Before you give or sign up

A donation request

"Campaign donations are not an investment and will not increase in value nor be returned." Look up the committee on the FEC's site, where every registered committee and PAC has a record and filings.1,2

High fundraising, consulting or compliance costs in its filings can be a sign of a scam.1

A registration warning

Check your registration at vote.gov, and confirm that any contact details in a message really belong to the group it names.1

Never sign up again through a link in a text.

Report it to the FBI

Report election scams to your local FBI field office or at ic3.gov. The FBI asks for these details.1

  1. The name of the person or company that contacted you.1
  2. Their phone numbers, addresses, email addresses and websites.1
  3. How you paid, if you did, with the transaction details.1
  4. What happened: how they contacted you, what they said and what you gave them.1

Questions people ask

Are political text messages scams?

Not all of them, but scammers impersonate candidates and PACs. The FBI's advice is to be wary of any unsolicited call, text, email or survey and not to click unknown links.1

How do I check if a PAC is real?

Search for it by name on the FEC's committee list, open its record and look at its filings.2,1

I gave my Social Security number. What now?

If it was used, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and follow the plan it gives you. If you're not sure, follow the steps at IdentityTheft.gov/databreach.3

I donated to a fake campaign. Can I get it back?

Call whoever moved the money today: your card issuer, bank or payment app, and ask for a refund or a reversal.3 Where to report each kind of scam

More scam examples

Sources 3
  1. Scammers Exploit 2026 U.S. Midterm Election to Perpetrate Multiple Fraud Schemes (I-101526-3-PSA, 15 October 2026), FBI IC3. Read 29 October 2026.
  2. Browse committees, Federal Election Commission. Read 29 October 2026.
  3. What To Do if You Were Scammed (June 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 29 October 2026.

Every example is rebuilt from an official alert and made safe, and every source shows the day we read it. How we check