News

Actions

BBB warns of scam involving voices of Obama, Clinton

BBB warns of scam involving voices of Obama, Clinton
Posted

A scam going around involving the recorded voices of President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have prompted a warning from the Connecticut Better Business Bureau.

The BBB said the voices may be real but their fundraising pitches are not.

It said the scam uses clips of politicians' voices to ask for money. It pretends to be raising funds for a political cause, but the donations really end up in scammers' pockets.

The BBB advised hanging up on the calls.

It said it works like this:

Listeners hear the voice of Obama or Clinton with a clip likely lifted from a prior speech.

The politicians ask for a donation.

Another voice prompts the listener to hit a button to speak with a "donation agent" who will collect the listener's credit card information.

The BBB said simply speaking to a "donation agent" can give the scammers information that can be used in later cons, not to mention the risk of fraudulent charges on a credit card or identity theft.

Though there have been cases of scammers using the voices of Obama and Clinton, the BBB said those from other politicians can be used as well.

The BBB recommended immediately hanging up and researching fundraising organizations before making any donations.