Alert on election fraud: Measures to secure your vote

Politics and elections have become the latest targets for online scams, with fraudsters constantly shifting their focus to where attention is highest.

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Beware of phony donation campaigns

The 2024 elections are receiving billions of dollars in funding, and you've likely received multiple requests to donate. These requests come in various forms, including phone calls, text messages, videos, social media posts, and direct messages.

Here are some tips for safeguarding your finances.

• Credit cards offer more scam protection compared to checks and debit cards.
• Donate through the official website.
• Verify the authenticity of campaign websites before clicking on any links.
• The Federal Election Commission maintains a list of registered Political Action Committees (PACs).
• It's worth investigating if any suspicious activities are uncovered. Some of the funds are directed towards their own advisors and marketing expenses rather than the candidate they claim to support. This resource is also helpful.

Be cautious when donating on TikTok as political fundraising is prohibited on the platform. Any requests for donations you encounter may be a scam or a violation of the rules, so it's best to avoid getting involved.

False info is spreading faster than ever

Be cautious of the information you consume online as fake news spreads quickly, including claims such as "The election is canceled" and "Non-citizens can vote this year."

The Kremlin is the leading source of AI-generated misinformation, according to Meta, ahead of the U.S. presidential election.

The most prevalent deception on Facebook involves fake "journalists" who fabricate news articles. If you encounter a new outlet, verify the story through other reliable sources.

The trend is to create fake electoral maps and share them on social media, claiming that either Democrats or Republicans could win the Electoral College. These maps are not real, so don't spread them as fact.

Learn to spot AI images and videos

Politicians' public speeches make it difficult to detect election fakes, as there is a lot of footage available. The more training data, the better the fake copies.

Original: "The cat sat on the mat." Rewritten: "The feline rested atop the rug."

• AI-generated images can be identified by their blurred backgrounds and inconsistent surfaces or lines.
• If the scenery doesn't match the current climate, season, or what's physically possible, it's likely a fake.
• You've likely observed various videos featuring major candidates. Examine their tone, inflection, and cadence to identify any discrepancies. If their speech or facial expressions appear unusual, it could be due to AI.
• Examine for objects that appear smashed together or disproportionate, particularly with regards to ears, fingers, and feet.
• When the subject faces the camera directly, deepfakes appear the most convincing. However, glitches may occur as the person turns to the side and moves.
• Signs and labels may contain misspelled words due to AI's inability to spell correctly.
• The lower half of the face is the most reliable indicator of AI-generated candidate videos. Pay attention to whether their chin or neck moves in an unnatural or exaggerated manner.
• Look for unusual finger and hand positions, such as too many fingers, elongated digits, or misplaced hands.
• Earrings, clothes, ties - these are the usual giveaway details.

Before sharing a video that evokes an emotional response, take time to watch it multiple times and conduct research before forming an opinion. This is to avoid being scammed by those who rely on quick reactions.

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