TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – When Hank McMurray went to his mailbox Monday afternoon in Tampa, a political postcard got his attention.
At first glace, it looked legitimate.
But, when voters took a closer look at the postcards they got – they also got suspicious..
The cards looked homemade and handwritten, signed by someone named Karen – with no last name.
That’s when Hank hesitated.
“First, i thought it was crayon. No, that’s marker. then someone has written thousands of these by hand? Then, signed them Karen? Not legitimate,” Hank said.
The postcard appeared personal, but was postmarked Portland.
As in Oregon.
And, it wasn’t addressed to Hank. Instead, he was called “VIP Voter.”
The postcard also provided a local 813 number to call. It was encouraging voters to provide personal information over the phone.
Hank says he knew better.
“This doesn’t sound right,” he said. “So, I thought i’d call and see you know. and I kept getting all operators are busy, and that doesn’t make any sense either.”
So, Hank called 8 on your Side.
We did some digging and contacted the Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Office.
They tell us postcards like are popular and quite common. Voting groups all over the country send them out, encouraging people to go to polls on election day.
And, as it turns out, the number on the card to call?
it wasn’t phony.
It was a legitimate number fo the elections office.
However, when Hank says he called several times, no one every picked up the phone. “I just kept getting a recording,” he told us.
In the end, here’s the best advice from the political experts: Never, ever give out your personal information over the phone.
As for the folks at the elections office, they tell 8 on your Side, if something seems phony, give them a heads up because they want to know.
Hank just hopes everyone reads the fine print this election season. “Personally, I think voting is one of the most important things you can do, and if someone is trying to scam people who are doing their due diligence, that’s not right.”
He added, “I hope people turn out to vote, no matter Democrat or Republican. Too many people have fought too hard to not take advantage of that. it’s a responsibility, not just a privilege.”
