Trick or Treat happens early with threat of election “fraudsters”

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Voters in the Santa Clarita Valley and across the county are being warned about con artists posing as election campaign workers looking for contributions.

The warning was issued Friday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office as the countdown for the Nov. 8 general election nears.

“If you plan on donating to your favorite politician this election season, make sure it’s the candidate and not a crook seeking your cash,” Greg Risling, spokesman for the DA’s office, said in a news release issued Friday.

The warning issued to voters was clear: Political donation scam pops up during election season.

“In the political donation scam, thieves pose as campaign workers who call people looking for contributions,” Risling said.

“The fraudsters can spoof a candidate’s phone number and even use recordings of the politician or a purported virtual town hall to make the ruse appear legitimate.

“At the end of the call, the thief will ask victims to make a pledge by providing a credit card,” he said.

The DA is offered tips for people to be follow as election day nears.

Those tips include:

  • Do not provide credit card information over the phone to an unknown entity.
  • If you want to contribute to a politician’s campaign, go to the official website or call the candidate’s campaign headquarters.

Anyone wanting to learn more about the scam is urged to watch a video posted online featuring Deputy District Attorney Ben Forer.  The video can be viewed at: https://vimeo.com/184432457.

“If you plan on donating to your favorite politician this election season please make sure it’s the actual candidate and not a crook looking for your cash.

“In the political donations scam, thieves pose as campaign workers who call people looking for contributions,” Forer says in the video.

“The fraudsters can spoof a candidate’s phone number and even use recordings of the politician or a reported virtual town hall to make the ruse appear legitimate.

“At the end of the call, the thief will ask victims to make a pledge by providing a credit card.”

Forer urges all residents not to share credit card information with unknown people over the phone.

The warning comes on the heels of a story about “dark money” published by the Los Angeles Times last month.

According to the Times, “an army” of political canvassers funded by a so-called “dark money” group tied to the Republican Party are poised to go door-to-door in the Santa Clarita Valley and Palmdale.

The expenditure marks a new phase, according to the article, in what is proving to be one of the most contested congressional races – the fight for the 25th Congressional District.

Congressman Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, is running against Yale University grad lawyer Bryan Caforio.

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on Twitter @jamesarthurholt

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