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 legit federal political action

action

commissions.

The FBI has seen an increase in these fraudulent PACs and

is and are

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 features reports from PACs showing how they spend their money. Check to see which suppliers use them. “Often with a scam PAC, you’ll see that the vendors are also associated with the operators. That should be a red flag. Similarly, if you see the same operator running multiple PACs, that could be an indicator 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.

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