Election-related scam calls in Nevada are increasing as November looms

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas resident Bobby McDowell received a call Monday afternoon from someone saying he owed taxes, and if he didn’t pay them, he wouldn’t be allowed to vote. The nearly 90-year-old Las Vegas resident knew it was a scam and hung up, but he worries others could fall for it.

“I felt violated,” McDowell said. “Telling me I couldn’t vote unless I made restitution for back taxes, which I know I didn’t owe. I knew it was a scam. … I’m worried there’s people who don’t understand that.”

With the November election just more than a month away, election-related scam calls are increasing and leaving unsuspecting people vulnerable. Scam calls are an increasingly common way to steal money from victims, especially in Nevada, which was at the top of a 2023 list that ranked states by financial fraud per capita.

In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission reported people losing $10 billion in scams, and the IRS warned taxpayers to be on the lookout for a summer surge of tax scams from thieves who may pose as IRS or tax professionals.

John Sadler, communications director for the attorney general’s office, said people impersonating IRS agents is not a new scam, however, using voting as a ploy is new to the office’s consumer protection bureau. McDowell’s incident is a good example of how scammers adapt and change with developments, such as the election being on people’s minds, Sadler said.

“The IRS will not do that,” he said. “They will not take away your right to vote for having unpaid taxes.”

McDowell expressed concerns about the process to report those scam calls. He called both the FBI and the U.S. treasury, both of which directed him to online portals to report the incident. McDowell does not have a computer, so he wasn’t sure what else he could do.

Sadler encouraged anybody who is a victim of the scam to send the office information so it can investigate. People can call the Las Vegas office at 702-486-3420 or the Carson City office at 775-684-1100 to make a complaint, or go to the attorney general’s office online portal.

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar encouraged Nevadans to be diligent about scams, whether they happen via mail or on the phone. Elected officials will not ask voters for money, though they may ask the voter to confirm certain information when going through the voting cure process, Aguilar said.

“They have to remain educated about the voting process,” he said. “Just make sure you always feel comfortable with who you’re talking to. If you don’t feel comfortable, hang up the phone and call the secretary of state’s office or call the county clerk to ensure it is the right person calling you that needs to call you.”

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