FBI warns of scams tied to the 2026 midterm election: what to watch for

With the federal general election set for Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the FBI published a public service announcement on October 15, 2026 warning that scammers could exploit the 2026 midterm election to commit financial fraud. The Bureau says these schemes target victims across the United States and have already been used around state and local elections. The alert updates a similar warning it issued on October 29, 2024, ahead of that year's general election.

What the FBI is warning about

According to the FBI, scammers borrow candidates' names, images, logos and slogans to ask for contributions, sell merchandise that is never delivered, or collect personal details that can be used for other fraud. The Bureau also says scammers use artificial intelligence tools to produce realistic voices, images and written messages that imitate candidates, campaigns, government agencies and people you trust. That realism makes the fakes harder to spot and raises the chance of losing money or personal information.

Four schemes named in the alert

Campaign "investment pools"

You're promised a guaranteed return if you put money into a pool tied to a candidate's campaign, supposedly paid out once the candidate wins, and you're encouraged to recruit others to grow your share. Campaign donations don't work that way: the FBI says they are not an investment, will not increase in value and will not be returned.

Fake political action committees

Scammers persuade people that they are giving to a legitimate political action committee, such as a super PAC or a candidate's campaign committee. In reality they have no connection to it and keep the money. The FBI calls these "ScamPACs".

Political merchandise that never ships

A seller offers political merchandise, takes the order and never sends it. The FBI describes this as a classic non-delivery scam.

Texts and emails saying you aren't registered

A text message or email claims you are not registered to vote in your state and urges you to click a link to what turns out to be a fake state voter registration page. The FBI says the aim is to steal personal information for identity theft and possibly to target you for more fraud.

How to check before you give, buy or click

• Be cautious with unexpected calls, texts, emails and surveys. Don't give personal information to people you don't know, and don't click unfamiliar links.
• Look up any PAC, party or candidate committee on the Federal Election Commission's website, FEC.gov, and review its registration and financial filings. The FBI cautions that some scam PACs can appear registered: a PAC or super PAC that reports high spending on fundraising, consulting, compliance or other administrative costs may be a scam.
• Confirm that the phone number, email address or website that contacted you really belongs to the organization it claims to represent.
• Before you buy campaign merchandise, research the seller by checking reviews and complaints on BBB.org.
• Check your voter registration yourself through vote.gov, which sends you to your state's election website to confirm your status, instead of using a link in a message.
• For the date, time and location of your polling place, the FBI points to official websites such as the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and USA.gov.

If you gave money or personal information

If you paid, report it right away to the bank, card issuer, payment app or money transfer company you used and ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money, as the FTC advises. If you typed your Social Security number into a fake registration page and it has been used, the FTC's next step is IdentityTheft.gov, which builds a recovery plan; if you aren't sure whether it was used, IdentityTheft.gov/databreach lists steps to protect yourself. If you gave away an account password and can still sign in, create a new, strong password and turn on two-factor authentication.

Where to report an election scam

The FBI asks people who run into an election-related scam to report it to their local FBI field office or to its Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, with as much detail as possible:

• the name of the person or company that contacted you;
• their phone number, address, email address and websites;
• how you paid and the details of the transaction;
• how the contact began, how you communicated, what you were told to do and what you provided.

Unwanted texts can also be copied and forwarded to 7726 (SPAM), which helps your wireless provider spot and block similar messages, and reported to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. In a separate October 15, 2026 alert, the FBI also asks voters to report potential election crimes, such as false information about the time, place or manner of voting.

A real campaign asks for a donation, never an investment. Check the committee, the seller and your registration on official sites before you send anything.