Professor of Psychology and Psychology Today contributor Stacey Wood warns that political scams are on the rise—and so is their success rate. In the article, written in collaboration with Wood Decision-Making Lab team member Ella House ’26, Wood cites that adults over 60 have lost upwards of $1.9 billion in 2023.
“What is especially challenging for consumers and voters is that legitimate campaign operatives use many of the same common persuasion techniques employed by scammers including use of authority (the name of famous politician); urgency (“Don’t let X happen in your state”); heightened state of emotions; and social proof (“Join your neighbors in supporting X.”),” Wood writes.
To protect yourself, Wood includes safety tips from the Better Business Bureau such as checking email links, verifying the legitimacy of organizations, and not responding to an unsolicited call asking for a donation.
To read Wood’s full article, click here.