Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and Attorney General Charity Clark Warn Voters about A.I. Deepfakes and Election-Season Scams

October 09 2024

Montpelier, VT - Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, in collaboration with Attorney General Charity Clark, shared a new webpage and two PSA videos this week to warn voters about disinformation and scams they may encounter this election season.

“Election season is when we come together to engage with our communities and advocate for the visions and values we want to see from the federal to the local level,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas. “Unfortunately, we also see malicious efforts during this time to take advantage of voters, either with misleading and fake information or with direct scams.”

Copeland Hanzas and Clark’s webpage addresses the rising influence of “deepfakes” – images, videos or audio generated by Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) that seem realistic but are fake.

“Deepfakes make it difficult to distinguish between what is true and what isn’t, which can spread doubt and confusion. This is, of course, a threat to our democratic process, and it’s why I’m working with the AG’s Office to share helpful tips about how to spot and avoid these efforts,” said Secretary Copeland Hanzas.

The webpage, a collaboration of both offices, also describes three kinds of election-season scams, with tips for how to stay away from them. The page describes voter registration scams, political donation scams, and fake surveys/petitions/polls, with best practices for protecting one’s information and links to helpful official resources.

“Scammers prey on our emotions, and election season is no different. Beware of scammers trying to get your money or your personal information by telling you there is an urgent problem with your voter registration, or convincing you to click on an unfamiliar, unsolicited link,” said Attorney General Clark. “If you or someone you love have encountered any of these scams, contact my office’s Consumer Assistance Program, at 800-649-2424, or AGO.CAP@vermont.gov. We are here to help.”

The PSA videos can be found on both the Secretary of State and Attorney General’s social media.

The webpage can be found here: https://sos.vermont.gov/elections/election-info-resources/a-i-deepfakes-scams/