Verify Election Contacts Before Sending Funds or Personal Data

The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center warns that criminals may exploit the 2026 U.S. midterm elections to conduct financial fraud. These schemes target individuals across the country by impersonating candidates, campaigns, and government bodies using increasingly sophisticated methods.

Fraudsters leverage artificial intelligence tools to generate highly realistic voices, images, and text messages. This technology allows them to mimic trusted contacts and official entities with a degree of realism that makes detection difficult for victims. The increased authenticity raises the likelihood of financial loss and the exposure of personally identifiable information.

Common Fraud Tactics

Scammers employ several distinct schemes to deceive the public. One method involves promising guaranteed returns on campaign contributions through fake investment pools. Victims are often encouraged to recruit others to invest, increasing their potential payout share.

Another prevalent scheme involves fake Political Action Committees. Criminals dupe victims into donating to what appears to be a legitimate Super PAC or campaign committee. In reality, the scammers have no affiliation with the actual political entity and keep the donated funds.

Fraudsters also sell political merchandise that is never shipped to the buyer. This classic non-delivery fraud relies on the urgency and passion of supporters. Additionally, victims may receive texts or emails claiming they are not registered to vote. These messages contain links to fraudulent registration pages designed to steal personal data for identity theft.

Who Is Affected

The FBI states that these schemes target victims across the United States. Previous alerts indicated that similar tactics were used during state and local elections. The current advisory serves as an update to an October 2024 alert regarding the 2024 general election.

The public is the primary target of these campaigns. The use of AI-generated content means that anyone receiving unsolicited calls, texts, or emails could be targeted. The realism of the impersonations makes it hard to distinguish between legitimate political outreach and criminal activity.

What to watch

The FBI advises caution with all unsolicited communications. Do not provide personally identifiable information to unknown persons or click on unknown links. Campaign donations are not investments and will not increase in value or be returned.

Verify the registration and financial filings of any Political Action Committee on the Federal Election Commission website. Be mindful that some scam PACs may appear registered but report high expenses for administrative costs. Confirm that unsolicited contact information is actually associated with the organization it claims to represent.

Check voter registration status directly at www.vote.gov rather than clicking links in messages. Research companies selling merchandise by checking reviews on BBB.org. If you encounter a scam, report it to the local FBI field office or IC3 with details about the contact and transaction.

What made it possible

Attackers succeed by exploiting the trust voters place in political institutions and the urgency of election cycles. They rely on the difficulty average users face in verifying the authenticity of digital communications. The use of AI lowers the barrier for creating convincing impersonations, allowing criminals to scale their operations. Teams usually mitigate this by establishing strict verification protocols for any request involving money or sensitive data.

What to do and how to stay safe: FBI

• Verify any political donation request by checking the entity's registration on the Federal Election Commission website before sending funds.
• Check your voter registration status directly at www.vote.gov instead of clicking links in unsolicited texts or emails.
• Research any company selling political merchandise by reviewing complaints on BBB.org before making a purchase.
• Report any suspected election-related fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov with all available details.

Step-by-step guide: Multi-Factor Authentication Setup for Small Teams

General security guidance from the Shell Bulletin newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.

Frequently asked questions

Are campaign donations considered investments that can grow in value?

No, the FBI states that campaign donations are not investments and will not increase in value nor be returned to the donor.

How do scammers make their impersonations so convincing?

Scammers use artificial intelligence tools to generate realistic voices, images, and written messages that mimic candidates and trusted contacts.

Where should I report an election-related scam?

You should report it to your local FBI field office or to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.