2026 midterm election scams: the FBI warning on donations and AI

Ahead of the Nov. 3 vote, the FBI warns of fake PACs, campaign 'investment pools', merchandise that never ships and fake voter-registration pages powered by AI.

2026-10-31

Americans vote on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, with all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats on the ballot, per Sinclair's Fact Check Team. On October 15 the FBI issued PSA I-101526-3 warning that scammers are exploiting the midterms with several fraud schemes, increasingly aided by AI. Local outlets such as WDIV Detroit amplified the warning on October 30.

Which election scams is the FBI warning about?

Campaign investment pools: guaranteed returns if a candidate wins, plus pressure to recruit others.
ScamPACs: fake political action or campaign committees that keep the donations.
Online purchases: political merchandise that never ships.
Voter registration: a text or email says you aren't registered and links to a fake state page that harvests personal data.

How is AI being used?

The FBI says criminals use AI to create highly realistic voices, images and messages impersonating candidates, campaigns, government entities and trusted contacts, which makes the schemes harder to spot.

Are campaign donations an investment?

No. The FBI stresses donations are contributions: they don't grow in value and aren't refunded. Any promised return is a red flag.

What does each scheme look like in practice?

Scheme	Typical approach	What the criminal wants
Campaign investment pool	A promise of guaranteed payouts if your candidate wins, plus a request to bring in friends	Money, in a pyramid-like structure
ScamPAC	A committee name that sounds official but has no tie to the campaign	Donations that never reach the campaign
Merchandise	Hats, shirts and collectibles sold online and never shipped	Payment and card details
Voter registration	A message saying you are not registered, linking to a fake state page	Personal data for identity theft

Red flags to watch for

Any profit, prize or return tied to an election result.
Pressure to recruit friends and family.
A message claiming your voter registration was canceled, with a link to fix it.
Requests to pay by wire, gift card or crypto instead of the campaign's official channels.
Contact details that do not match the organization the sender claims to represent.
An urgent audio or video of a candidate asking for money that you cannot find on their official accounts.

How to protect yourself

Verify PACs and committees and their filings on FEC.gov; heavy fundraising or consulting costs can be a warning sign.
Check your registration at vote.gov, not via a link in a message.
Donate only through channels you looked up yourself.
Research sellers before buying merchandise.
Report scams to your local FBI field office or IC3 with contact details, transaction data and a description of what happened.