Cedar Rapids Weather
Watch for Political Scams This Election SeasonBy Nadia Crow, Reporter
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - As pre-election emotions run high, the Better Business Bureau says to watch out for people pretending to be lobbyists or campaign volunteers who really just want personal information. Experts say there are some key red flags to watch for.
Most people fall for scams when they try to get something for nothing. The biggest red flag is when someone asks for your credit card or bank account information. But most importantly, trust your instincts. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't legitimate. "These people say I'm an educated business person and I fell for it,” said Better Business Bureau Community Relations Director Barbara Green. The Cedar Rapids Better Business Bureau office fields complaints such as, fill out this survey and we'll send you on a cruise. "They ask for your credit card number to pay for your port fees,” said Green. Another scam says, fill out this survey and we'll pay your utility bills. Just send them your bank account information and they'll make a deposit into your account. Plenty of volunteers and paid staff on both sides of the aisle will likely call you as we inch closer to election day. But if it's too hard for you to tell the difference between a real or fake request go to their website and make a donation on their secure site. "You go to their site and you make a donation on their secure site. You're giving out quite a bit of personal information. You home address and credit card and they can take advantage of that very quickly,” said Green. The Iowa Attorney General's Office say they haven't received any formal complaints about these kinds of political scams. It may be a campaign volunteer calling on a specific party's behalf. But the Better Business Bureau says, as a rule of thumb, guard your personal information at all costs. |
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