Global Courant
As the 2024 election approaches, campaigns and political organizations and candidates will scramble to fundraise for everything from presidential candidates to programs to help veterans and protect the environment. Beware, however, that scammers looking to line their pockets lurk among the legitimate federal political action committees.
The FBI has seen and is seeing an increase in these fraudulent PACs warning people to be on high alert. If you are asked for a political donation by a political organization, the Federal Bureau of Investigation recommends that you:
Visit the Federal Election Commission website (fec.gov) and search by the name of the organization to see if the PAC is registered. If it’s not registered, it’s illegal. The FEC website also includes reports from PACs showing how they spend their money. Check to see which suppliers use them. “Often in a scam PAC you see that the sellers are also associated with the operators. That should be a red flag. Similarly, if you see the same operator using multiple PACs, that could be an indication of a scam,” the FBI warns. If a group asking for money has a name that resembles a separate, well-known, or established organization, be suspicious. Also, the FBI warns that it is illegal to take money from someone else and donate it to a candidate or PAC under your name. So don’t do that.
In general, if it doesn’t feel right, don’t donate money.
