FBI Says Scammers Are Using election to Target Victims’ Personal Information

Scammers are trying to exploit the high level of interest in the U.S. presidential election as a way to steal personal information. Swindlers are posing as fundraisers, pollsters and candidates and even launching fake voter registration drives to trick citizens into providing personal information and bank account details, the Associated Press reported.

The FBI, the Better Business Bureau and cybersecurity experts are warning about increasingly sophisticated online fraud schemes centered around the election that take advantage of high interest and the desire to get involved.

From natural disasters to the pandemic, it’s common for online grifters to tailor scams to take advantage of current events. Complaints to the FBI cybercrime reporting site quadrupled to up to 4,000 a day since the coronavirus pandemic started, for example.

The final weeks of the election are providing a ripe opportunity for cybercriminals, who often take advantage of the same tools use by foreign adversaries like Russia, China and Iran: fake social media accounts, realistic looking websites and suspicious links.

Sources: NYpost; Image: WGN Tv