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.

Politics is big business in the state of Louisiana, and according to Chris Babin with the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana, it's making scammers rich through these phone campaign phone calls.

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 Current Scam?

A robocall is what starts off the process. 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.

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:

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.

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.

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.