It’s election year again. That means hours of media coverage about the candidates and sociable debates among friends. It has also opened up the way for wily scammers to steal your identity.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is cautioning consumers about voter registration scams. These scams might sound familiar. In 2004, similar consumer fraud scams were carried out with some success.

The scam artists contact consumers via email or telephone. They claim to be from civic organizations or your local elections board. They might ask you to confirm your voter registration information. If you aren’t registered to vote, they might persuade you to give them personal information, such as your social security number and birth date, under the guise of registering you.

These people do not have your best interests at heart. They are not trying to be good citizens and help their community. They are looking to commit identity theft. They will take your personal information and use it for themselves.

Organizations that conduct legitimate voter registration drives will supply you with a voter registration forms that you fill out yourself, in private. They don’t ask for financial information and they never share your personal information. You can also obtain voter registration forms from public libraries, government offices, the DMV, and online. You can also contact your local election office, or check the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s National Voter Registration Form.

If you are approached by someone who is pretending to register you to vote, don’t give them any personal or financial information. If you have all ready supplied your information to someone suspicious, you may be a victim of identity theft. You can get more information about identity theft on the FTC’s Identity Theft Website.

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