With our presidential election fast approaching, key topics are heating up across the nation. People are passionately speaking up for and against these hot-button issues, and when emotions run high, bad actors look for ways to use people's passion to trick them. Simply said, scammers prey on emotion.

It's easy to get swept up in the moment and take risks you might otherwise avoid. At BBB, we can't tell you how to vote, but we can tell you how to spot common scams so you don't become a victim.

Be careful with political emails and text messages.

It can seem like once a candidate or political party gets your email address, you hear from them every time you check your inbox. They need your help. They want to know your point of view through a poll or survey, and they urge you to support their efforts by donating, participating or sharing information. Many have turned to text messaging for these same efforts.

But, scammers can easily mimic these campaign emails and texts -- not to get your vote, but to obtain your personal information and potentially divert your contributions elsewhere.

Like authentic political appeals, you might receive a request to participate in a poll or provide a contribution -- and a link will be provided to give you an easy ability to do so.

However, that link could really be an attempt to steal your personal information. What looks like a legitimate donation request might actually be an attempt to access your bank account or credit card information.

Also, links found in phishing emails and spoofed text messages can take you to a fake website that mimics a candidate's site, or unknowingly install malware on your device. Use BBB's tips for spotting an email scam to be sure it's real.

Overall, before you donate or give personal information, research the organization that reached out, just like you would with a company you were thinking of shopping with. Be wary of people who use high pressure to try to rush you to make a decision or take an action.

If you want to check out a political appeal, it's best to type the official website address into your browser to ensure you're visiting the authentic site. You can also hover your mouse over hyperlinks to compare the web address that pops up with the legitimate web address, but typing it in yourself is safest.

Be careful with phone calls.

Actual campaign supporters do call people to conduct surveys or solicit donations, but scammers often do the same thing.

Criminals pretending to be affiliated with your party or candidate might try to scam you over the phone by asking you to:

-- Answer survey questions then ask for your personal information like your Social Security number or birthdate. Sometimes, they also offer a prize or gift card in exchange for your time. They may ask you to give a credit card number to cover shipping. You should never share payment information for a supposed prize. You also want to be careful, as it's how to discern if a survey is real or fake.

-- Donate funds, and if you give them your account information, they've got you. How do you know if the fundraising effort is legit? As noted above, it's best to locate the official website for the campaign.

-- Register to vote. Fraudsters might say you're not registered and offer to help you with the process over the phone, then steal personally identifying information. The deadline to register has already passed, but they may be banking on you not knowing that.

There's also the text-your-vote scam. Con artists send text messages urging people to text their vote rather than voting in person or by mail. When voters believe them, they don't show up to actually vote, and their chance to participate in elections is lost.

It's also common for actual candidates to use pre-recorded messages to reach out to the public. Scammers sometimes use voice cloning to make it sound like an authentic message from a candidate and persuade people to donate or share info. After hearing the message, people are redirected or transferred to someone ready to take down their information and use it for fraudulent activities.

BBB offers these tips to avoid election related cybersecurity issues:

-- Check your links. Never click on a link in an email or text unless you trust exactly where it is going.

-- See prizes as a red flag. Legitimate pollsters don't usually offer a prize for completing a survey.

-- Know what pollsters don't need. They might ask for demographic information or what party you most align with, but they don't need personal information like birthdates, Social Security numbers or financial information. No state offers voter registration by phone.

-- Don't answer unknown numbers. Con artists can't trick you if they can't get in touch. If you answer their call, at a minimum, they'll sell your contact information to others.

-- Listen to your gut. If something seems off, protect yourself. If in doubt, check with your local election office.

Don't provide information in response to an unsolicited message. The entities that need your account and personal information already have them.

Do report suspicious activities to BBB's Scam Tracker.

If you have any questions about an email, call or message you've received, you can reach BBB serving Southeast Tennessee & Northwest Georgia's team at 423-266-6144 or [email protected].

Michele Mason is president of the Better Business Bureau in Chattanooga.

Staff photo / Chattanooga Better Business Bureau President Michele Mason