Secretary of State, Attorney General alert Vermonters to election scams

October 11, 2024  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and Attorney General Charity Clark. Screenshot

Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, in collaboration with Attorney General Charity Clark, shared a new webpage and two video messages this week to warn voters about election-related disinformation and scams.

“Election season is when we come together to engage with our communities and advocate for the visions and values we want to see from the federal to the local level,” Copeland Hanzas said. “Unfortunately, we also see malicious efforts during this time to take advantage of voters, either with misleading and fake information or with direct scams.”

In both cases, the officials advise Vermonters to carefully and critically examine and consider information they see and hear to avoid being fooled. 

The new webpage addresses the rising influence of “deepfakes” – images, videos or audio generated by Artificial Intelligence that seem realistic but are fake.

“Deepfakes make it difficult to distinguish between what is true and what isn’t, which can spread doubt and confusion. This is, of course, a threat to our democratic process, and it’s why I’m working with the AG’s Office to share helpful tips about how to spot and avoid these efforts,” Copeland Hanzas said.

Tips shared warning of AI messaging include examining images for their quality and visual and audio characteristics that seem “off.”  

The new state webpage also describes three kinds of election-season scams with tips for how to spot and avoid them: voter registration scams, political donation scams, and fake surveys/petitions/polls. It has information on best practices for protecting one’s information and links to helpful official resources.

“Scammers prey on our emotions and election season is no different. Beware of scammers trying to get your money or your personal information by telling you there is an urgent problem with your voter registration, or convincing you to click on an unfamiliar, unsolicited link,” Clark said. 

People should not click links that ask you to download files, share personal information or ask for money. The officials also advise Vermonters who encounter any of these fraudulent efforts to contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424 or with an email to  AGO.CAP@vermont.gov. “We are here to help,” Clark said. 

Find the video messages on both the Secretary of State and Attorney General’s social media and on YouTube: Election-Season Scams PSA here and Deepfake AI PSA message here. 

The new webpage can be found here.