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Scam alert

Not Registered to Vote Text? It's a Scam. Don't Tap the Link

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United States · ic3.gov · Arrives by a text message or email

The short answer

A text saying you're not registered to vote, with a link, is a scam. Check your registration with your county or state election office. A political pitch that promises your donation will earn a return is a scam too. On October 15, 2026, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center described election-related schemes that steal money or personal information, including fake campaign investment pools, fake political action committees, merchandise that never ships, and fake voter-registration pages. Rhode Island, Ohio, and Arkansas also warned about suspicious voter-registration texts. Do not click. Check your registration at vote.gov or your state election office.

What is happening

On October 15, 2026, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center issued a public service announcement describing four election-related fraud schemes: a campaign investment pool that promises a return once a candidate wins, fake political action committees that keep donations, political merchandise that never ships, and texts or emails claiming you are not registered to vote and linking to a fake state registration page. Rhode Island's Department of State warned in September 2026 about an unauthorized text asking recipients to confirm their identity for their voter record, and News 5 Cleveland reported fake texts urging Ohio voters to click a link about registration or voting history. In October 2026, the Van Buren County Clerk's office in Arkansas also warned that fraudulent texts claiming a voter registration has expired were circulating with links that should not be clicked.

How to recognize it

  • An unexpected text or email says you are not registered to vote, your registration has expired, or you need to confirm your identity, and it gives a link to tap.
  • A political pitch promises that your campaign donation is an investment that will earn a return once a candidate wins, or asks you to recruit others into the same pool.
  • Someone asks you to donate to a political action committee or campaign committee you cannot verify on the Federal Election Commission website.
  • An online ad sells political merchandise that never arrives after you pay.
  • The message uses realistic voices, images, or written lines that look like they came from a campaign or government office.

What to do instead

  1. Do not click the link or reply to an unexpected voter-registration text or email.
  2. Check your registration yourself at vote.gov or your state election office's site, or call the number listed on the official .gov page.
  3. Treat campaign donations as donations, not investments. They do not grow in value and are not returned.
  4. Before you give to a political action committee, review its registration and filings on the Federal Election Commission website.
  5. Report election-related fraud to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov or your local FBI field office.
  6. If you want to tell someone, the rule is: do not click a registration link from a text—check vote.gov yourself.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

  1. Entering personal information on a fake registration page is not a failing. These messages are built to look official.
  2. If you shared personal details, note what you entered and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to IC3 at ic3.gov.
  3. If you sent money, contact your bank or card issuer right away and tell them the payment was fraud.
  4. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Open Help Now

Common questions

How do I check my voter registration safely?
Go to vote.gov or your state election office's official site yourself, or call the number printed on that .gov page. Do not use a link from an unexpected text or email. Rhode Island pointed voters to vote.ri.gov and 401-222-2340; Van Buren County, Arkansas, pointed voters to 501-745-8683.
Are campaign donations ever investments?
No. The FBI says campaign donations are not an investment and will not increase in value or be returned. A pitch that promises a return once a candidate wins is a fraud scheme, not a real campaign ask.
How can I check a political action committee?
The FBI points people to the Federal Election Commission website to review a committee's registration and financial filings before giving. Appearance of a registration alone is not enough; treat unexpected donation asks with care.

Practice this safely

Practice ignoring a registration link in a text and checking your status on vote.gov instead.

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Tell someone

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Not Registered to Vote Text? It's a Scam. Don't Tap the Link

A text saying you're not registered to vote, with a link, is a scam. Check your registration with your county or state election office. A political pitch that promises your donation will earn a return is a scam too. On October 15, 2026, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center described election-related schemes that steal money or personal information, including fake campaign investment pools, fake political action committees, merchandise that never ships, and fake voter-registration pages. Rhode Island, Ohio, and Arkansas also warned about suspicious voter-registration texts. Do not click. Check your registration at vote.gov or your state election office.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/midterm-election-scams

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This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.

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