Louisiana Residents Beware: Phony Political Fundraising Scams On The Rise

Phony political fundraising is big business for scammers, and these calls are targeting people in Louisiana. The practice of trying to steal your money by getting you to donate to a fake political campaign or associated calls isn't going to slow down anytime soon.

Politics is big business in the state of Louisiana, and according to Chris Babin with the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana, scammers are being made rich through these phone campaigns. It can be hard to say "no" to someone representing a political candidate that you believe in.

In Louisiana, we are very passionate about how we feel when it comes to political candidates. We are very outspoken and we don't hesitate to make our feelings known.

What's the Nature of the Scam?

Robocalls have been one of the ways unscrupulous thieves are using to get their hands on your money. You get the robocall saying your candidate "needs" money, and they make everything sound like an emergency.

The call tries to make you believe that your favorite candidate's opponent is raising way more money than your candidate. Don't fall for it. Think about it; your email inbox may already be jammed with similar requests from the candidates.

If you say you will give them a donation, you then will be switched over to a real person who wants your credit card information. And, there you go. They will steal your money by making charges.

And, they can take all of your personal information and steal your identity. No matter how much you like a candidate and hope they win, you don't want to lose everything you have worked so hard for.

3 Easy Steps to Help Prevent Scammers From Getting Your Money

Babin says there are several ways that you can prevent yourself from being scammed. He says they recommend the following:

3.  Screen Your Calls - If you get a call and you don't recognize it, you don't have to pick it up. You can also check the number with whitepages.com to see if it's a real organization.

2.  Don't Respond to Unsolicited Robocalls - Scammers can fake the Caller ID. Businesses are only allowed to call you using robocalls with your written permission.

1.  Register with the Do Not Call Registry - While this is not going to stop scammers from calling you, it will prevent other marketing-type calls. You can register at Donotcall.gov or by calling 888-382-1222.

What Are the Rules Concerning Robocalls and Robotexts?

The rules are pretty easy to understand. If you have a landline at home though, campaigns are able to call your line without your consent according to the Federal Trade Commission.

The good news is that you can ask a campaign or affiliated political organization to stop calling your cell phone or texting you, they are required to do that. Here is what the rules stipulate:

Importantly, for calls and texts that require consent, the caller must honor the called party's request to revoke consent. The called party can revoke consent at any time and in any reasonable manner such a replying "stop" to a text or asking not to be called again on a voice call.

Obviously, if they are disreputable and looking to scam you, they will not likely honor your request to quit contacting you. Just remember, you have the power to say "no" and hang up.