Provincial Elections
As the 2025 Ontario Provincial elections approaches, candidates and political parties are busy campaigning, election officials are working hard to ensure a free and fair process, and voters are getting ready to make their voices heard. But there’s another group quietly working in the shadows—scammers, also known as cybercriminals.
These scammers often take advantage of big events or news, whether it’s good or bad. We’ve seen them in action during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rogers outage in 2022, and even with the $200 Ontario taxpayer rebate. Now, they’re targeting the elections.
Their goal?
To disrupt the process, spread false information about candidates, and scam voters
These Scammers have two main goals:
Steal your personal information, such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN), passwords, or credit card details.
Misinform voters by spreading fake news or false elections details to confuse people.
Here are some Common Election Scams
- Fake Emails Pretending to Be Official
- Some emails may look like they’re from Elections Canada or other official organizations. They might ask you to click a link or share personal information, but they’re fake.
What You Can Do: Don’t click on links in emails unless you’re sure they’re real. If you’re not sure, visit the Elections Canada website directly or call their official number.
- Text Message Scams
- Scammers may send texts pretending to conduct voter surveys or represent political organizations. These messages can trick recipients into sharing personal data or clicking malicious links. During the BC provincial election, fraudulent texts claimed to represent “Voter Research Services”
What You Can Do: If you get a text from someone you don’t know, don’t reply or click on any links. Block and Report the number if it looks suspicious.
- Misinformation Campaigns
- False information about candidates, polling stations, or voting dates can spread quickly on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. For instance, coordinated disinformation campaigns have targeted political candidates using fake news articles.
What You Can Do: Always double-check election information with trusted sources like Elections Canada or your local election office.
- Fake Donation Requests
Scammers often exploit election seasons by creating fake donation requests that seem to come from political parties, candidates, or causes. They may reach out via emails, phone calls, texts, or even fake websites asking you to donate money to support a candidate or political campaign. These scammers might use urgent language or emotional appeals to pressure you into sending money immediately.
What You Can Do: Always verify donation requests directly with the official website or contact number of the political party or candidate. Never donate through unsolicited messages or unfamiliar links. If you’re unsure, contact the organization directly through official channels.
- Social Media Impersonation
Fraudsters may create fake social media profiles or pages pretending to be candidates, political parties, or election officials. They might post misleading information, request personal information, or solicit donations. These impersonators often copy logos, images, and language to appear genuine and credible.
What You Can Do: Check for verification badges (like the blue checkmark) on official social media accounts. Verify any suspicious accounts or posts by visiting the candidate’s or party’s official website. Report any impersonating profiles to the social media platform and do not engage with suspicious messages or links.
How to Stay Safe this Election Season
- Get voting information directly from Elections Ontario
https://www.elections.on.ca/en.html - Never share your Social Insurance Number (SIN), banking information, or voter ID with anyone over email, text, or phone.
- If you think something is a scam, report it to the Canada Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or visit their website at https://antifraudcentre.ca
- Share what you’ve learned about elections scams with friends and family so they can be safe too.
Scammers make their messages look real, but if something feels wrong, trust your instincts and check with official sources.
Stay alert to protect yourself and ensure your vote counts!
References
- Bolster AI. “Phishing & Online Scams Targeting the 2024 Election.” Bolster AI Blog, 2024, https://bolster.ai/blog/phishing-online-scams-targeting-the-2024-election. Accessed 17 Feb. 2025
- Robertson, Ian. “Spot and Avoid Text Scams During the 2024 BC Provincial Election.” *Robertson Technology Group*, 9 Oct. 2024, https://www.rtgroup.ca/blog/spot-and-avoid-text-scams-during-the-2024-bc-provincial-election. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025
- Voter survey scam targets Ontario residents – INsauga https://www.insauga.com/voter-survey-scam-targets-ontario-residents/
- Sangfor Team. “Election Security: Cyber Fraud Through AI, Deep Fakes, and Social Engineering.” Sangfor Blog, Sangfor Technologies, 2024, https://www.sangfor.com/blog/cybersecurity/election-security-cyber-fraud-through-ai-deep-fakes-and-social-engineering. Accessed 15 Feb. 2025