Federal authorities share tips to avoid scammers targeting voters

Just 21 days before the 2020 presidential election, federal authorities announce to be on the lookout for scammers that could be targeting voters.

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have released an announcement regarding false URLs and email domains that could be a focus on scamming voters.

According to the release, scammers are using fraudulent websites and email addresses pretending to be authorized election resources. This act easily tricks people into giving out their personal information and/or infects their computer with malware.

“I read a couple of articles that the FBI had sent out about not giving out your personal information and I think certainly they need to do that,” says Co-president of the League of Women Voters of East Central Mississippi Debby Ford. “I think the scammers are going to go hit the current hot button issue and right now it’s the election.”

To avoid becoming a target, the FBI says to carefully check the spelling of web addresses, websites and email addresses. Scammers are often known to misspell words and use a .com instead of a .gov web address.

Federal authorities say to keep in mind:

1. Make sure your computer and antivirus software are updated.

2. Remove unneeded software apps.

3. Do not open emails or attachments from someone you don’t know.

4. Never give out personal information via email.