topic Re: Political surveys in Among Friends

Political surveys

bonnielu — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 01:23:49 GMT

This is not meant to be political. My husband on line checks for information from his party of choice. He is now getting all sorts of political surveys in the mail. Of course the surveys repeat week after week with requests for donations. My question is not about the donations but the chance these are scams or some sort of fraud... an attempt not only to get money but to invade our privacy and perhaps to do harm to us over time by harvesting information.

Does anyone have any advice.... any experience to share.... any proof I am right about the "scam status" that will allow me to convince my hubby to cease and desist.

Please no politics, nothing about individual parties... just information on how legit they are.

Re: Political surveys

Luvsmyfam — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 01:30:05 GMT

@bonnielu My opinion,you are setting yourself up.Yes,people are going to get political.Enough said from me

Re: Political surveys

RoughDraft — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 01:30:09 GMT

Once your DH scanned the net, he put himself out there to be followed. Best way to disappear is for him to clear out his cache from the first day he "searched." Any other e-mails that slip through should be flagged as SPAM.

Re: Political surveys

Desertdi — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 01:31:44 GMT

@bonnielu "requests for donations"...should answer your question.

Re: Political surveys

PhilaLady1 — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 01:40:02 GMT

The same thing happened to my son. Tons of email and phone calls asking for money. It calmed down after several months but I bet that they will start up again soon. Don't know for certain, but we think, and we were informed by someone that we know, that the calls were for causes, that they did not come out forthright stating that the money was for a particular person or candidate. In my opinion, the causes that they were collecting for were the scam part. I feel that they should have been more direct about where your money would be going.

Re: Political surveys

PA Mom-mom — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 01:59:15 GMT

@bonnielu We don't answer phone calls or emails or mailings from political entities. If anyone wants to contribute to a candidate, they can go on their website. If they want to contribute to a pac they can go on that website. Ignore all solicitations.

Re: Political surveys

Kachina624 — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 02:03:42 GMT

I do think people become paranoid about everything being a scam, I suspect these people just want money. However you have no way of knowing for sure and you don't know for what nefarious purpose the money will be used.

I've been besieged by requests for money for "causes" all of which I ignore for the same reason.

It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Re: Political surveys

Desertdi — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 02:09:33 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I do think people become paranoid about everything being a scam, I suspect these people just want money. However you have no way of knowing for sure and you don't know for what nefarious purpose the money will be used.

I've been besieged by requests for money for "causes" all of which I ignore for the same reason.

It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

@Kachina624 My mailbox is STUFFED with packages of "trinkets, pamphlets, greeting cards, note papers, etc." from an organization to which I do NOT belong. I suspect "someone" gave them my name and address... di

Re: Political surveys

Kachina624 — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 02:12:18 GMT

@Desertdi. I don't get any stuff like that. Maybe you have an admirer in China? Have you ordered anything from Temu?

Re: Political surveys

sandy53 — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 02:16:44 GMT

I live in Iowa and because we are first in the nation to caucus for president I get a lot of political surveys. I'd say I average 2 a week, most of them via text messages with links to the survey. I always respond. They do not ask for donations, so I assume they are from news organizations or certain political campaigns. I get political mailers (mostly large postcards, even a hard cover book from one candidate), but no surveys in the mail.

Re: Political surveys

Desertdi — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 02:20:16 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Desertdi. I don't get any stuff like that. Maybe you have an admirer in China? Have you ordered anything from Temu?

@Kachina624 Ummmm, not recently...but I DO have an "overly zealous" shirt-sleeve relative.... di

Re: Political surveys

moonandthestars — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 02:44:53 GMT

@bonnielu That is a pretty normal way the different parties or pacs fundraise. It's hard to know if some of what your husband is receiving is spam or scam or not. He always has the option of not giving money! Sometimes tho I think you have to in order to submit the survey answers, but not always. And if that's the case he doesn't have to complete the survey. He or you could look up if the particular ones he is receiving emails from are legit registered organizations. But once you enter your info or once they pic up your cookies (or whatever it's called) they track you and use that information to continue contact. Happens all the time with so many things/places.

Re: Political surveys

colleena — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 03:37:18 GMT

@bonnielu Good ?'s which I'm not sure of the answer. But, my neighbor gave a donation to one of these & for some reason even though she meant it as a one time payment it's now coming out monthly & she's having a heck of a time making it stop.

Re: Political surveys

jbinrwc — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 04:01:18 GMT

Many organizations will share your contact information. That leads to unwanted emails and regular mail. I never respond to surveys that come in the mail. If a postage paid envelope is included, I stuff all of the contents of the original envelope into the postage paid envelope with a note telling them to remove me from their mailing list. Works quite well. Flag emails as spam and delete them. Respond to texts with STOP. They both stop coming soon as well. Your husband may want to try one or all of these "tricks".

Re: Political surveys

Spacrazy — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 04:13:00 GMT

@jbinrwc : Great idea ~ I'm gonna give it a try, thanks.

Re: Political surveys

Carmie — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 12:45:20 GMT

If you leave " bread crumbs" you're gonna get followed.

Everytime you visit a site, you leave cookies. It is easy to identify your e-mail and send you all kinds of junk, including e-mail trying to get into your pockets.

Delete your cookies and change your setting so that you can't be tracked. Also, you can block e-mails.

But, just be prepared to get spam and junk mail, and advertisements based on what topics you search.

Adding; When you register to vote, the party you register with is public knowledge. Candidates and policital parties get lists and send out snail mail asking for donations and your vote.

There isn't a thing you can do about it. We get a ton of that nonsense around election time. If you donate, you invite more requests.

Re: Political surveys

chrystaltree — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 10:26:18 GMT

Of course this political, it's just not partisan politics. Of course, many of those requests for donations for candidates, causes, parties are scams. You know that, your husband knows that, we all know that. Proof? We aren't law enforcement, no one here would have proof. If there are bank scams, investment scams, luxury handbag scams...there are political contribution scams. My advice is that if your husband wants to contribute to a campaign or if he is looking for information about a candidate; visit the local campaign office for that candidate. He can contact the contact the people litical party directly and ask how to safely donate. As for political surveys. When you answer one, you open the floodgates and you can never close them. Surveys aren't scams since they never ask for money. Surveys want your contact information. Your email address, phone number, mailing address etc so they can then slam you with requests for contributions. They share that information with other candidates and causes so the begging never ends.

Re: Political surveys

jackthebear — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 11:13:56 GMT

@bonnielu wrote:
This is not meant to be political. My husband on line checks for information from his party of choice. He is now getting all sorts of political surveys in the mail. Of course the surveys repeat week after week with requests for donations. My question is not about the donations but the chance these are scams or some sort of fraud... an attempt not only to get money but to invade our privacy and perhaps to do harm to us over time by harvesting information.

Does anyone have any advice.... any experience to share.... any proof I am right about the "scam status" that will allow me to convince my hubby to cease and desist.

Please no politics, nothing about individual parties... just information on how legit they are.

ad and tracker blocker, use it

I use Ad Remover

mark the emails as spam and delete them

Re: Political surveys

CalminHeart — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 11:21:21 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
@Kachina624 wrote:
I do think people become paranoid about everything being a scam, I suspect these people just want money. However you have no way of knowing for sure and you don't know for what nefarious purpose the money will be used.

I've been besieged by requests for money for "causes" all of which I ignore for the same reason.

It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
@Kachina624 My mailbox is STUFFED with packages of "trinkets, pamphlets, greeting cards, note papers, etc." from an organization to which I do NOT belong. I suspect "someone" gave them my name and address... di

Mark it "return to sender" an put them in the mailbox. The sender will get tired of paying return postage.

An uncle used to mark these deceased and return to sender. I don't know if it affected other mail but it seemed to slow down the junk.

Re: Political surveys

Group 5 minus 1 — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 12:05:18 GMT

We just have ALWAYS told the caller that we do NOT answer any surveys on the telephone.

As Murphy says,"Only God can make a random sample".