Among Friends

[bonnielu]

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.  

[Luvsmyfam]

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

[RoughDraft]

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.

[Desertdi]

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

[PhilaLady1]

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.  

[PA Mom-mom]

@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.

[Kachina624]

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.

[Desertdi]

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@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.

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@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

[Kachina624]

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

[sandy53]

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.