Registering for Fraud

Identity thieves have apparently pegged a new information stealing technique to the 2004 elections, according to the Missouri Office of the Secretary of State.

Missouri residents who receive telephone calls soliciting personal information on the claim that “corrections” are needed in local voter rolls have been asked to contact law enforcement officials immediately and then notify their local election officials, according to Secretary of State Matt Blunt.

Blunt’s office in Jefferson City has been notified that such incidents have been reported in at least five different Missouri counties.

These false solicitations occur as follows:

·           A resident is called by a person who claims to represent a well-known non-partisan civic organization

·           The caller claims to work in “the voter registration office,” and maintains that errors have been found in the person’s registration and are in need of correction

·           The caller then solicits personal information, including Social Security number and date of birth

·           In some cases, residents are told that they have been removed from the voter list but will be able to re-register on the phone if they provide personal information.

“Absolutely no personal information should be provided in response to such a telephone call,” says Blunt. “Law enforcement believes this is a new form of identity theft, preying on people’s concern that they will be unable to vote in [an upcoming] election.”