AT SIX STARTS NOW.
>> TONIGHT, A NEW VOTING SCAM IS
REVEALED THAT COULD PREVENT
REGISTERED VOTERS FROM CASTING
THEIR BALLOT HERE IN MICHIGAN IN
NOVEMBER. THANKS FOR JOINING US
HERE AT SIX. I'M KIMBERLY GILL,
AND I'M DEMOND FERNANDEZ IN FOR
DEVIN SCILLIAN.
>> YOU KNOW, SEVERAL VIEWERS ARE
REACHING OUT TO HELP ME. HANK,
AFTER RECEIVING CONCERNING TEXT
MESSAGES OVER THE WEEKEND. IN
FACT, EVEN A 12 YEAR OLD BOY
RECEIVED MESSAGES REGARDING HIS
VOTING PLANS FOR NOVEMBER.
>> CONSUMER INVESTIGATOR HANK
WINCHESTER IS LIVE IN DETROIT.
HANK THIS IS CONCERNING KIMBERLY
DUMONT.
>> IT CERTAINLY IS, BECAUSE,
NUMBER ONE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO VOTE
HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. WE
ALSO KNOW HOW CRITICAL MICHIGAN
IS IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
IT ALL STARTS WITH THESE TEXT
MESSAGES THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN RECEIVING DURING THE LAST
FEW DAYS. AND AS YOU WILL SEE,
THE INFORMATION THEY'RE GETTING.
WELL, IT'S CONCERNING. IT STARTS
WITH A TEXT MESSAGE LIKE THIS
ONE. WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU
GOT THIS MESSAGE?
>> WELL, THIS IS LIKE THE THIRD
TIME THEY SENT IT TO ME.
>> MONO D'ANGELO, A LONGTIME
REGISTERED VOTER HERE IN
MICHIGAN, SAYS THAT HE WAS
ACTUALLY BEING ENCOURAGED TO
VOTE IN ANOTHER STATE LIKE IOWA.
>> THE FIRST TWO TIMES. I JUST
BLEW IT OFF THINKING IT WAS SPAM
RIGHT? AND I DIDN'T REALLY GIVE
IT A LOT OF THOUGHT. BUT THEN
THEY WERE VERY PERSISTENT AND
THEY KEPT SENDING THIS MESSAGE
TO ME.
>> MY HELP ME, HANK TIP LINE
FLOODED WITH VIEWERS CALLING,
SAYING THEY TOO RECEIVED
SUSPICIOUS TEXT MESSAGES ABOUT
VOTING. SOME SAY THEY WERE BEING
ASKED FOR THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY
NUMBERS. THIS WOMAN IN DETROIT,
CONCERNED ABOUT THE MESSAGE SHE
RECEIVED.
>> BUT SOMETHING STOPPED ME.
SOMETHING TOLD ME TO LOOK AT THE
NUMBER. IT WAS NOT FROM
MICHIGAN. IT WAS FROM GEORGIA.
>> THIS SEVENTH GRADER IN CANTON
ALSO GOT A TEXT MESSAGE ABOUT
VOTING IN NOVEMBER.
>> I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE SAYING I
WAS A REGISTERED TO VOTE. I AM
ONLY 12. I KNEW THAT WASN'T
RIGHT. I DIDN'T CLICK ON IT, AND
I TOLD MY MOM AND WE DELETED IT
AND OUR OWN KAREN DREW ALSO
GETTING A TEXT MESSAGE THAT
SEEMED CONCERNING.
>> WE HAVE YOU IN OUR RECORDS AS
NOT SIGNED UP TO RECEIVE A
BALLOT IN THE MAIL AND YOU'RE
ALREADY REGISTERED.
>> YEAH.
>> SO DIDN'T CLICK IT. I DID NOT
CLICK. I ACTUALLY DID THINK OF
YOU BECAUSE I'M LIKE, I KNOW WE
CAN'T DO THAT, BUT BUT THIS IS
ONE I THINK I GOT ABOUT FOUR
DIFFERENT TEXT MESSAGES THIS
WEEKEND.
>> INVESTIGATORS SAY THESE
THIEVES MAY BE TRYING TO STEAL
YOUR IDENTITY OR IMPACT YOUR
ABILITY TO VOTE. IN NOVEMBER, I
RECEIVED THIS STATEMENT FROM A
SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SECRETARY
OF STATE HERE IN MICHIGAN. IT
READS. OUR OFFICE HAS RECEIVED
SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FROM MICHIGAN
VOTERS CONCERNED ABOUT TEXT
MESSAGES THEY'VE RECEIVED
REGARDING THEIR VOTER
REGISTRATION STATUS. OUR OFFICE
OF INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES IS
REVIEWING THE COMPLAINTS AND
WILL REFER ANY SUSPECTED
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY TO THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL OR OTHER
APPROPRIATE LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES. BACK OUT HERE LIVE.
LET'S FOLLOW THE LEAD OF WILL
THAT 12 YEAR OLD FROM CANTON. IF
YOU GET ONE OF THOSE MESSAGES
AND IT JUST SEEMS SUSPICIOUS,
SOMETHING DOESN'T ADD UP, JUST
DELETE IT. ONCE YOU CLICK THAT
LINK. UNFORTUNATELY, WHETHER YOU
LIKE IT OR NOT, IF SOMEBODY IS
TRYING TO GET YOUR PERSONAL
INFORMATION, YOU MAY HAVE
ALREADY UNLOCKED IT ALL FOR THEM
RIGHT THEN AND THERE. WE'RE LIVE
HERE TONIGHT. DOWNTOWN. HANK
WINCHESTER. HELP ME! HANK BACK
TO YOU.
>> SO, HANK, BEFORE YOU GO, WHAT
SHOULD PEOPLE BE DOING IF THEY
DO STILL NEED TO REGISTER TO
VOTE?
>> YEAH, THEY NEED TO ACT. I
MEAN, YOU NEED TO CONTACT YOUR
CITY OFFICIALS OR THE SECRETARY
OF STATE. WE HAVE THE FULL
STATEMENT FROM THE SECRETARY OF
STATE REGARDING OUR STORY TODAY
ON OUR WEBSITE,
CLICKONDETROIT.COM. AND THERE
ALSO INFORMATION, IF YOU HAVE
INTERNET ACCESS, COMPUTER
WHERE YOU CAN GO AND CHECK THE
STATUS FOR YOURSELF TO M