As election season heats up, so do scammers
A Virginia Tech expert explains how to spot a campaign donation scam and what to do if you fall victim to one.
Money is key to any political campaign - in fact, it often makes or breaks candidates and defines their success. To get this money into the bank, voters are inundated with emails, texts, mailers, and phone calls asking for donations during campaign seasons. But a Virginia Tech criminologist says to be careful where you send your money and explains how to spot donation scams, which are becoming more and more sophisticated through artificial intelligence (AI).
What trends are we seeing in campaign scams?
“During campaign seasons and leading up to the election, we see an increased volume of campaign scams,” says Thomas Dearden, associate professor of sociology in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. “AI has made these more efficient, effective, and convincing. Social media is a common avenue for spreading these scams and reaching more potential victims.”
How do you spot a campaign donation scam?
“Spotting campaign donation scams is becoming more difficult. AI is used to create fake images, audio, and video of political figures. This media is often difficult to distinguish from the real thing. Still, there are some warning signs. These include unusual donation methods (such as requesting gift cards), difficulty finding contact information, and unsolicited requests.
“The best advice is to avoid all unsolicited donations, including ones from phone calls, social media, or emails. Scammers can use AI to create fake media to make their fraud look legitimate. Only donate directly using the resources found on the campaign's website.”
What should people look for to know if the donation ask is legitimate?
“With the use of AI and the sophistication of many scams, it is often difficult to know if a campaign fund or political action committee (PAC) is fraudulent just by reviewing their materials,” says Dearden. “While there are clues, the best method is to avoid unsolicited donations entirely. Instead, find the campaign website directly. In addition, if donating to a PAC, the Federal Election Commission keeps a list of all registered PACs on its website (found here). If it is not on the list, do not donate to it.”
If you fall victim to a campaign scam, what should you do?
“If you have been the victim of a scam, contact law enforcement. For campaign scams, a good resource is your local FBI field office. If the fraud took place online or through social media, another good resource is the Internet Crime Complaint Center.”
About Dearden
Thomas Dearden is an associate professor of sociology in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech. He specializes in research technology and crime, including cyber and white-collar crime. Dearden has conducted research and statistical analysis for organizations across the globe including the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii; Food for Life Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, India; and Pay Tel in North Carolina.
Schedule an interview
Contact Margaret Ashburn in the media relations office at mkashburn@vt.edu or 540-529-0814.
