Ahead of the Midterms, Scammers Are Running Fake Donations, "Campaign Investment Pools," and Voter Registration Pages

As the midterms approach, scammers use the names, images, logos, and slogans of real candidates to fraudulently solicit campaign contributions, sell merchandise that is never delivered, and steal personally identifiable information. The FBI names four schemes: "campaign investment pools" that promise a guaranteed return on your contribution after the candidate wins (and encourage you to recruit others), fake PACs (ScamPACs) that collect donations with no affiliation to any real committee, non-delivery of paid political merchandise, and texts or emails claiming you are not registered to vote that link to fraudulent state registration pages.

Scammers are also using AI to generate realistic voices, images, and messages impersonating candidates and trusted contacts, making these schemes harder to spot. Campaign donations are not investments and will never increase in value or be returned. Before you donate, verify the PAC or campaign committee's registration and financial filings on the FEC website — some scam PACs appear registered but report high fundraising and administrative costs. Check voter registration only at vote.gov, and look up merchandise sellers on BBB.org before buying.