BALTIMORE -- Maryland Board of Elections officials have a warning Tuesday that criminals are using this election to try and take voters' identities, WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Darrielle Snipes reported.
Posing as an election official or someone from a special interest group, the thieves claim something might be wrong with the victim's registration.
Ross Goldstein, who is the director of the Maryland Board of Elections' Candidacy and Campaign Finance Division, said the thieves have said: "We want to make sure you're registered to vote. Can we verify your information? We need to get your address, date of birth and your Social Security number."
But officials said this is a scam. Criminals seek personal information and could easily try to steal a voter's identity. Maryland Board of Elections officials said the criminals usually try to get information through the mail, and only in rare occasions do they call.
Elections officials said they do not ask for a person's information via telephone.
"When a late application comes in, and we need to confirm information, do we do that. But under no circumstances do we ever as for a Social Security number over the telephone," Goldstein said.
No one in Maryland has yet to become a victim of this scam, but election officials want everyone to be aware -- and know not to give out personal information over the phone.
"If you do get a phone call, and you are not certain, hang up the phone and call your local election office or state board and talk to us directly," Goldstein said.
Election officials also want to help first-time voters in the state be aware that they will need to bring some type of identification to their polling place. This only applies to people who registered through the mail.
Officials will accept either a valid state-issued photo identification card, or they will accept a utility bill, bank statement, government check or government-issued documents, Snipes reported.
"Someone could register somebody unknown to them by mail. There's no requirement at any point to identify themselves," said Nikki Baines Trella, who is the election reform director for the Maryland Board of Elections.
People who registered to vote at the Motor Vehicle Administration do not have to worry about bringing identification because, election officials said, they already showed proof of their identity when they applied for a driver's licenses.
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Darrielle Spencer Reports: Thieves Ask Voters For Social Security Numbers
