Idaho and Mississippi are in the crosshairs of scammers.
State authorities are warning residents to be wary when giving out their personal information to anyone calling and offering to register them to vote.
The National Association of Secretaries of State tipped off Idaho’s Lawerence Denney about the con this week. A release from Delbert Hosemann, Mississippi’s Secretary of State, says part of the scam includes victims being asked for the last four digits of their Social Security number. The scammers will also take a full driver’s license number or date of birth.
Registering to vote by phone is prohibited in both Mississippi and the Gem State. Officials in Idaho say legitimate advocacy groups and actual election personnel should never offer to register someone to vote by way of the phone.
Denney is taking the opportunity to remind residents to think twice before giving out personal information over the phone. He’s encouraging people looking to register to vote to use the state’s online voter registration website: idahovotes.gov.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are investigating the matter. Anyone who’s received a call offering to register them to vote is asked to reach out to their local county clerk or the Secretary of State’s office.
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