ELECTION SCAM?- Website Misidentified as Suspicious

On Tuesday, the Washington State Secretary of State (SOS) issued a warning about a website that had come to its attention as being suspicious. The website, www.votewashington.info, provides information about challenged ballots so that voters can be aware of their ballot status and take action to ensure their vote is counted. The Secretary of State’s office said that it received numerous complaints about this website from Washington citizens concerned that it was a disinformation attempt, or it had some other nefarious purpose. As a result, the Secretary of State’s office issued its warning, and it reported the website to Homeland Security. I also reported this warning on social media based on the SOS announcement and press reports .

After the story was reported on local media, KIRO TV news did some digging and found the two gentlemen who developed and maintain the website. Last night on their 11:00pm news cast, they broadcast a segment that explained the purpose of the website and that it was a voluntary effort by the gentlemen to inform the public.

This afternoon, Secretary of State Kim Wyman held a press conference to clarify her original warning. She noted that there was no contact information on the website that they could use to talk to the originators. With that, her office contacted Homeland Security and issued her warning.

Subsequently, her office and Homeland Security were able to talk to the website administrators in a video chat that set the record straight as to their purpose and their intentions. Secretary Wyman said that during the video chat she got the sense that they wanted to help voters whose ballots have been challenged.

She also noted that the website uses public information about voter registration and elections. Voter registration information that is public includes Name (First, Last, Middle), Residential Address, Mailing Address, Date of Birth, Voter history (what elections you voted in, not how you voted), and Gender. A voter’s signature, SSN, and driver's license number are not part of the public record.

After all this publicity, the website has made some changes. It has added the link to the Washington State’s Voter Portal, plus added a “About VoteWashington.info” section that more fully explains its purpose.

Elections officials have noted that if your ballot is challenged, you will be contacted by a letter from your county elections office with instructions on what you can do to solve the issue. And, you have until November 23 to respond.

 

Washington State Secretary of State:

https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/

 

Snohomish County Auditor:

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/224/Elections-Voter-Registration

 

King County Elections:

https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections.aspx

 

 

KIRO TV:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/we-want-every-vote-count-creators-popular-unofficial-elections-website-cleared-by-investigators/JPJECQLSPZB6TCVAQE4FIELLOY/?fbclid=IwAR2m7l4fXwTJtqZ2V2yEXPfqIlnMxMxOYZJrq9x2CBiT1edvhzTB5CTXOoQ

 

 

 

ELECTION SCAM- Washington State Secretary of State Issues Warning

Today, the Washington State Secretary of State issued a warning about a website that claims that it has Washington State election information. It announced that votewashington.info is not an official site of the Office of Secretary of State “…nor is it a verifiable source of election information.” It warns that “Voters should not rely on this website as a source of election information.”

According to The Seattle Times the website does not give any information on who owns it or maintains it and does not provide any contact information.

The office reported this web site to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, an arm of the Department of Homeland Security and the Center for Internet Security a non-profit organization works to make the internet a more secure place.

The Secretary of State’s office recommends visiting www.VoteWA.gov for any information on your ballot status.

It notes that if your ballot is challenged that you will be contacted by your county elections office.

You can also contact the county elections office about ballot status or information posted on votewashington.info.

 

 

Washington State Secretary of State:

https://www.facebook.com/WaSecretaryOfState/photos/a.479698905418692/3311604528894768/?__cft__[0]=AZXnG1sNcvtZtznVVrL-cL4GBNanEe85XxW_Y9f76YGjLa-87hD-ObL9z-2fsCZg91WSYWgI-ZmWQ5EeY2LDVDmrF3qAixK5QrYmwwpt7XffKFmlsxmfBLivFlm7njQx7ZZyw_880JaNkFJQZx__k2Se&__tn__=EH-R

 

Snohomish County Auditor:

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/224/Elections-Voter-Registration

 

King County Elections:

https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections.aspx

 

 

 

ELECTION SCAMS- Threatening Emails Reported by FBI and Director of National Intelligence

In a recent blog posting I noted that election scammers are primarily interested in your money and your personal information. Last night’s announcement by the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Chris Wray that foreign actors have been sending threatening emails to voters have given publicity to concerns that many citizens have had on foreign interference in our elections.

National security officials blame Russia and Iran for the emails.

Early press reports have indicated that the emails have been primarily sent to voters in Florida. However, KIRO TV News reported that at least one threatening email has been received by one or more Washington State citizen.

The emails reportedly spoofed the email address of the right-wing group the Proud Boys.

According to the KIRO report, part of the verbiage of the email was as follows:

 

"You are currently registered as a Democrat and we know this because we have gained access into the entire voting infrastructures."

 

"You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you."

As with most scammer emails and phone calls this threatening email is designed to scare the recipient and to intimidate them into taking the email author’s desired action. It also is designed to shake the recipient’s faith in the election system in the United States.

The claim that a group has “… gained access into the entire voting infrastructures…” is a bold assertion that clearly is intended to frighten people. KIRO points out that registered voter lists are a public record but how you voted in any election is not public. At least one intelligence official has told the New York Times that the data that was obtained by Russia and Iran was “…mostly public…” The public information could have been combined with other personal information obtained on the dark web to obtain email addresses for example.

Washington State Secretary of State Kim Wyman has said that the state’s election system has not been hacked.

The email is a classic case of the “social engineering” that scammers use to gain cooperation from victims.

The email spoofs the Proud Boys email address. While the Proud Boys is not a government agency, it has received publicity over the summer with the George Floyd protests. At first glance a reader of the email would assume that the Proud Boys are potentially on the rampage. Without further investigation or analysis, the email can sow distrust and fear pointed toward the Proud Boys.

The claim that the email authors have information about who you are and how you vote is designed to develop credibility and authority in addition to shaking your faith in the privacy of your information. The scammer hopes you will believe in his/her authority and act in the way that they want you to.

National Security officials have emphasized that foreign actors have tried to interfere in our election process to cause chaos for several years. National Security officials have claimed that no votes have been manipulated so far. The threatening emails point out however, how disruptive foreign actors can be with public information and information available on the dark web.

If you receive an email like the one announced by the DNI and the FBI take a few moments to think before acting. Checkout the email for any spelling mistakes or any differences to addresses or web links with authentic addresses and links. Consider the tone of the email. Is it designed to get you emotional? If it is, take some time before acting. Ask a trusted family member or friend about the email. Contact a someone from the county or state elections office to verify any information claimed by the email.

If you receive a threatening email like this, report it to

Washington State Secretary of State:

secretaryofstate@sos.wa.gov

Elections- (800) 448-4881

FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center:

https://www.ic3.gov/

 

And don’t forget to VOTE!

 

CBS News:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-emails-proud-boys-vote-trump-linked-overseas-servers/

The Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/iran-and-russia-seek-to-influence-election-in-final-days-u-s-officials-warn/?utm_source=marketingcloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning+Brief+10-22-2020_10_22_2020&utm_term=Active%20subscriber

 

KIRO TV:

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/wa-secretary-state-issues-statement-after-us-officials-say-iran-russia-responsible-attempt-intimidate-voters/5KNNZL5Y2JFKDPABVAHR4HBKJU/

 

Associated Press:

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-florida-elections-voting-2020-voting-2124f257f89649630e123952df34b186

 

Washington State Secretary of State:

https://www.sos.wa.gov/office/news-releases.aspx#/news/1424

 

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE- Protecting Your Child’s Identity While They are Distant Learning

 

The latest issue of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is now available. This issue’s subject is protecting your child’s identity while they are distant learning.

 

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6559

 

ELECTION SCAMS- Scammers are Still after Your Money, Not Your Vote

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are both warning voters to watch out for spoofed emails and websites that may appear to be election related, but in reality are designed to collect your personal information or install malware onto your computer or device.

Many of the bad actors are scammers who are trying to commit identity theft like in other scams that you may have heard about. Others may be trying to spread disinformation that disrupts our election process.

Scammers can spoof legitimate organizations like local government/volunteer election related web sites or campaign organizations. They can use email (phishing email), websites, or even text messages to try to lure you to click on a link that asks for your personal information or installs malware. Others will rely on robocalls to try to lure you.

Often spoofed emails or websites can look just like it is from a legitimate real organization except for some small differences. The FBI and CISA point out that minor spelling errors such as “electon” for “election” can be indicators of a fake email or website. Also, in any web addresses a small deviation from a legitimate web address such as a misspelling or a different domain than a legitimate domain (“[.]com” instead of “[.]gov”) can be an indication that it is a fake link or website.

Scammers frequently try to get their victims emotional so that they act without thinking. With the COVID 19 pandemic dragging on and a contentious election in progress a scammer might use inflammatory language to encourage you to take an action that in reality reveals your personal information or distributes disinformation. Analyze any email, text, or website for emotional content. Before taking any recommended action, take a deep breath, wait a few minutes, ask a friend for their opinion on the email or website. Take some time to independently verify web addresses, web sites, and organizations.

This is a time to be especially alert to scammers and disinformation. Scammers take advantage of what is in the news to collect our money and information. Report suspicious or criminal online activity to:

www.ic3.gov

Here is more information about scammers trying to take advantage of the election,

 

FBI/CISA:

https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2020/PSA201002

 

Identity Theft Resource Center:

https://www.idtheftcenter.org/election-scams-begin-to-surface-with-the-general-election-less-than-one-month-away/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=TMIEmail101320&utm_campaign=TMIElectionScams

 

Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/scammers-seize-on-u-s-election-but-its-not-votes-they-want/

 

Forbes:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2020/10/20/how-to-cast-your-vote-against-election-scams/#4ea5e8383be1

 

NBC7 San Diego:

https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/scammers-are-mimicking-ballot-tracking-text-service/2421308/

 

MAIL IN BALLOTS- Ballots Get Caught Up in Mail Theft

While the following occurred in King County, it can also happen in Snohomish County.

Sammamish Police report that voting ballots have been caught up in mail theft in the area. The police department does not think that the target of the theft was the ballots. Mail thieves were probably looking for personal information such as credit card account numbers, but the ballots just happened to be in the boxes that the mail thieves broke into.

Ballots were not opened and did not appear to have been tampered with.

A Sammamish Police spokesperson noted that many neighborhoods do not have locking mailboxes and that mail thieves target areas without locking mailboxes.

The beauty of mail in ballots is the convenience of filling out your ballot then putting it in the mail for delivery to the county. However, mail theft does have the potential of disenfranchising voters, even if that disenfranchisement is incidental to the theft.

You can protect your mail in ballot by taking one of the following actions,

·         Use a locking mailbox

·         Take it to a Postal Service blue mailbox

·         Take it to a nearby Ballot Drop Box

KING TV:

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/sammamish-police-return-stolen-ballots-after-thieves-target-mailboxes/281-aa07f961-270a-4591-8a92-762c2cc7bc15

 

South Snohomish County Crime Watch:

https://ssnoccrimewatch.blogspot.com/2020/10/mail-in-ballots-delivering-your-ballot.html

  

For more information about voting, Drop Box locations, and other election subjects, check out one of the following links,

 

Washington State:

https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/

 

Snohomish County:

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/1986/Accessible-Voting-Information

 

King County:

https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections.aspx

 

 

MAIL IN BALLOTS- Delivering Your Ballot

The time to vote is rapidly approaching. In Washington State voters are used to mail in ballots. We usually give little thought about filling out our ballot, putting it in the security envelope, then putting the security envelope and ballot into the outer envelope, signing the outer envelope, then putting that envelope in outgoing mail at our mailbox.

With the publicity of mail in ballots during the current presidential campaign, voters might be a little more sensitive about the delivery of their ballots from their home to the county auditor’s office where it will be counted. Will their ballots arrive in time? Will their ballots be waylaid in a room or in a pile on the side of the road?

Will my ballot be stolen by a mail thief? To even suggest such a thing may be an indicator of the writer’s obsessions. After all, mail thieves are NOT after ballots, they are after your identity, like your bank account numbers or credit card numbers which they can turn into cash or purchases, at your expense. But a mail thief could pick up your ballot as he/she looks for bank statements, credit cards, checks, etc. and leave it on the ground somewhere with the other mail that they think they do not need. The chances of this happening all depend on whether you have a locking mailbox and how prevalent mail theft is in your area.

All ballots will be mailed to voters by October 15.

There are things you can do to help ensure that your ballot will be delivered for counting.

One of the commonly advertised things you can do is to vote early. Getting your ballot on its way to the auditor early will ensure that it arrives on time. In Washington State, ballots need to be postmarked by November 3, 2020 to be counted. Mailing your ballot at the last minute could endanger getting it postmarked in time.

If you are concerned about the security around your mailbox, you could take your ballot directly to your local post office and place it in a blue mailbox or take it inside the post office. No postage is necessary. Some jurisdictions recommend mailing your ballot by the Friday before Election Day to ensure that it is postmarked in time.

Or you can take it to a Ballot Drop Box near you by 8pm on Election Day. The Drop Boxes are available 24/7 starting on October 15.

 

For more information about voting, Drop Box locations, and other election subjects, check out one of the following links,

Washington State:

https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/

 

Snohomish County:

https://snohomishcountywa.gov/1986/Accessible-Voting-Information

 

King County:

https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections.aspx