EDITORIAL: Be suspicious if Joe Biden or someone else calls and says not to vote

It appears to be political text message season — I got three in the past week — and it’s likely that a flurry will hit as November approaches.

Many such messages will be legitimate, but others will be scams using the cover of campaign season to commit fraud.

The trick is being able to tell the difference.

“These political scams are not to be confused with legal political robocalls and texts, which are permitted by law if they follow certain rules,” according to RoboKiller, an app that blocks spam texts and calls.

The illegal kind will want you to take some sort of action, whether it’s clicking on a link or providing personal information such as a credit card or Social Security number.

They might try to sell you something or threaten you, and they’ll do it with a sense of urgency attached. Also be suspicious if the text or call gives you information that seems contrary to what you know or have read elsewhere.

For example, thousands of New Hampshire residents got a robocall just before the state’s primary in January telling them not to vote.

The voice was a clone of President Biden’s, using AI technology and telling voters, “Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”

Those bogus calls prompted the Federal Communications Commission to outlaw robocalls that are made with AI technology.

Other reported voter scams involve the risk of identity theft. For example, a bogus election official might try to convince people that they can vote by phone if they provide specific personal information.

“Scammers may pose online as volunteers or representatives of political parties, manipulating individuals into providing sensitive details,” according to the National Cybersecurity Alliance. “No states permit registering to vote over the phone.”

Requested donations for a candidate or a cause might ask you to click on a link or press a number on your phone. These could be phishing scams.

Further, know that scammers can impersonate phone numbers, so even though it might appear that it’s an election official or someone legitimate calling, don’t be fooled.

If you do want to donate, go to a certified site and do so from there. To see whether a political action committee is registered, go to the Federal Election Commission’s website at fec.gov/data/

“If it is not registered, it is not legal,” according to the FBI.

However, it is legal to send political robo-texts as long as the sender is not using autodialing technology, but rather is manually entering the number, according to FCC rules.

If you want to block such texts, you can typically opt out by replying with “Stop.” You can also check with your service provider; some will block numbers that are forwarded to 7726 or “SPAM.”

James Perry, with the National Consumers League, said his organization has not received any complaints yet about political texting.

But he has a personal favorite method for dealing with them: “I’m assuming most consumers do what I do, and that is just delete them.”

Contact Ellen Marks at emarks@abqjournal.com if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division at 505-490-4060. Complaints can be filed electronically at nmag.gov/contact-us/file-a-complaint/