Text messages that come to your phone as spam messages are a nuisance at best and a risk to your personal security at worst. But somewhere in between lies a unique type of spam text message that includes propaganda to convince you of whom to vote for in the upcoming election.
Of course, this is a nuisance, but is it also something more than that? Something more dangerous that you need to be aware of?
If you're receiving those unwelcome political text messages from fundraisers, here's what you need to know about them and how you can reclaim your phone and block those messages for good. With the upcoming election, you should be free to vote without any influence from strangers texting your phone. How did they get your number, anyway?
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Political text messages are communications sent via SMS by political campaigns, party committees, political action committees (PACs) and interest groups. These messages aim to solicit support, funds, votes, gauge public opinion through surveys and provide information about political events and initiatives.
Due to their high open rates and direct reach, they have become a popular tool in modern campaigning. However, there is a risk that such messages can backfire because recipients may find them intrusive and choose to support a different candidate instead.
As election season approaches, it's important to be vigilant about the political text messages you receive. While some may be genuine communications from campaigns or organizations, others could be scams designed to deceive you.
Here are some tips to help you determine the legitimacy of these messages:
Check for grammatical errors: Fake messages often contain poor grammar, spelling mistakes or awkward sentence structures. Legitimate organizations typically ensure their communications are free from such errors.
Verify the source: If you receive a message claiming to be from a known political campaign or organization, verify it by contacting it directly using a phone number or website you trust, not the information provided in the message.
Look for unfamiliar numbers: Legitimate political campaigns usually send texts from identified numbers. Scam texts often come from unidentified or unusually long numbers.
Understand brand communication: Familiarize yourself with how political campaigns say they will contact you. Many organizations provide guidelines on their websites about what legitimate communications will look like.
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Political organizations often obtain phone numbers from voter registration records, which include names, addresses and contact information of registered voters. These records are public and can be accessed by anyone involved in political communications.
Additionally, political groups may purchase phone numbers from data brokers who compile extensive profiles using various data points, including online activity, subscriptions and demographic information. Essentially, even if you haven't directly given these campaigners your phone number, they've found it online some other way.
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While the messages themselves typically do not extract personal information directly, responding to or engaging with these texts can contribute to the data profiles that political organizations maintain.
Each interaction provides additional data points that can be used to refine outreach strategies. However, be cautious of links within these messages because they could potentially lead to phishing attempts if not from a legitimate source.
Here's the thing. You'd think the Do Not Call Registry would help, but, sadly, it doesn't cover political stuff. And those federal laws about phone communications? They're not much help either.
Why? Well, it's kind of a sticky situation. See, lawmakers are worried about stepping on First Amendment toes. Plus — let's be honest — they need to reach voters themselves. So, they're not exactly rushing to put up barriers.
Now, there is one rule. Political groups can't use auto dialers to spam you with texts unless you've said it's OK. But here's the catch. The Supreme Court defined auto dialers in a way that lets a lot of texting tech off the hook.
So, what does this mean for you? Well, if you've ever liked a political meme, taken an online survey about democracy or donated to a cause, you might've put yourself on their radar. It's like open season for political texters.
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If you regularly receive calls and messages from the same number, you can block it to prevent those calls and texts from reaching you. This is effective if the messages come from the same number but may be less effective if the sender uses multiple numbers.
On iPhone
On Android
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
Responding to the text with "Stop," "Unsubscribe" or "Cancel" can opt you out of future communications from that sender. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also provides options to report unsolicited texts by forwarding them to 7726 ("SPAM") or filing a complaint online.
On both iPhone and Android, you can delete and report unwanted messages as junk. Here's how:
On iPhone:
Android:
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
Both iPhone and Android have features to filter messages from unknown senders, reducing interruptions from unwanted texts.
On iPhone:
On Android:
Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer
As a last resort, you can contact the campaign’s office to report the message. This could help prevent future communications and bring the issue to the campaign's attention, especially if they are not following best practices.
To further reduce the number of unwanted political text messages, consider investing in personal data removal services. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.
Be cautious of links, and do not click links in political texts because they may contain malware or lead to fraudulent websites. Also, be aware that some political texts may be fake, designed to mislead or defraud you. Scammers often disguise themselves as legitimate political campaigns, nonprofits or government agencies to exploit the election season's heightened communication. These fake texts may attempt to extract personal information or solicit fraudulent donations by creating a sense of urgency or panic.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware and potentially access your private information is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices.
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Political text messages may be a nuisance, but they can also pose risks to your privacy and influence your voting decisions. As the election approaches, it's essential to take control of your phone and block these unwanted messages. Remember, your vote is your voice. Don’t let it be drowned out by unsolicited texts. By understanding how to manage these communications, you can focus on making informed choices this election season, free from outside influence.
Have you ever received a political text message? What did it say? Did they keep coming? Did you try one of these methods to try and stop it? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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