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August 7, 2008
FTC
Cautions Consumers About
Voter
Registration Scams
 Have
you received an
unsolicited e-mail or
phone call from someone
who claims to represent
your local election board
or civic group and asks
for your Social Security
or credit card number to
confirm your eligibility
or registration to vote?
According to the
Federal Trade Commission,
the nation's consumer
protection agency,
scammers may send
messages asking for your
Social Security number or
financial information
supposedly to register
you to vote – or to
confirm your registration
– when they really want
to commit identity theft.
As a rule, federal
officials say,
organizations conducting
legitimate voter
registration drives
either contact you in
person or give you a
voter registration form
that you fill out
yourself. They will never
ask you to provide your
financial information.
 If
you get an unsolicited
phone call or e-mail from
someone who claims to
need your Social Security
number or other personal
or financial information
to register you to vote,
report it to the FTC
online at
www.ftc.gov,
or by phone at
1-877-FTC-HELP.
If you already have
shared your personal
information with someone
you don’t know, you may
be the victim of a scam.
File your complaint with
the FTC, then visit
www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
To register to vote –
and to find out whether
your state requires your
Social Security number
for registration –
contact your local
election office, or check
the U.S. Election
Assistance Commission’s
National Voter
Registration Form at
www.eac.gov/voter.
Most states accept
this form. Many states
and localities have their
own rules about how far
before an election you
must register to be able
to vote, and whether a
Social Security number is
required .
The Federal Trade
Commission works for
consumers
to prevent fraudulent,
deceptive, and unfair
business practices and to
provide information to
help spot, stop, and
avoid them.
To file a complaint in
English or Spanish, visit
the FTC’s online
Complaint Assistant
or call 1-877-FTC-HELP
(1-877-382-4357).
The FTC enters
complaints into Consumer
Sentinel, a secure,
online database available
to more than 1,500 civil
and criminal law
enforcement agencies in
the U.S. and abroad.
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