+

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.

Close
HomeQuizzoneWhatsappShare Flash Reads
 

Don't fall for these online voting scams circulating the internet

Nov 8, 2016, 22:13 IST

Advertisement
&quotLast Week Tonight with John Oliver"/HBO; YouTube

Don't be fooled: You can't vote from home via text message.

That might sound obvious, but some people have been using social media to try to convince voters otherwise. 

The misleading posts, shared on Twitter, Reddit, and 4Chan in the days leading up to Election Day, proclaim that you can vote online or by text "from the comfort of your own home." This is false.

As Fusion notes, Twitter has begun blocking fake ads, though it originally said the messages did not violate its terms of service (which state "accounts portraying another person in a confusing or deceptive manner may be permanently suspended"). Twitter reversed its statement on the images after they started to spread.

The post below targets voters in Pennsylvania, a swing state. It features a typeface similar to the one used by the Hillary campaign.

Advertisement

Here are a few others that have been making the rounds, which originated from Twitter user @TheRickyVaughn. The original tweets containing the image below have since been deleted (presumably by Twitter):

mcnees/Twitter

Advertisement
mcnees/twitter

When I texted the number, I got a response that read "the ad you saw was not approved by iVisionMobile OR Hillary for America in any way" and offered the real number for text updates from the Clinton campaign.

Leanna Garfield/Business Insider

Registered voters in a few Virginia counties (also a swing state) have also reported receiving fake letters that said their registration status was in question. The letters said they came from the Voter Participation Center (a nonpartisan organization that seeks to increase voter turnout) and America's Future Inc. (a right-wing group based in New York City).

These seem to be - hopefully unsuccessful - attempts to keep people out of the polls.

NOW WATCH: A mysterious cloud moving 700,000 mph is going to collide with our galaxy - here's what will happen

Please enable Javascript to watch this video
You are subscribed to notifications!
Looks like you've blocked notifications!
Next Article