NEW YORK STATE (WKTV) - As the deadline for registering to vote approaches, the New York State Consumer Protection Board (CPB) is alerting consumers to a report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of a voter registration scam involving e-mail or telephone calls. The contact comes from an individual claiming to represent the local election board or another civic group and asks for Social Security numbers or credit card information in order to confirm a person’s eligibility to vote or their voter registration.

"The Consumer Protection Board urges consumers not to give out their Social Security or other numbers to unsolicited callers or to unsecured e-mail contacts for any reason," said Mindy A. Bockstein, Chairperson and Executive Director of the CPB. "This is yet another scheme by identity thieves to fraudulently obtain Social Security numbers and credit card information in order to steal people’s identity. Don’t fall for it."

Consumers who receive unsolicited calls or e-mails asking for Social Security numbers or other personal or financial information purportedly needed for voter registration purposes are urged to immediately report them to the FTC at www.ftc.gov. Consumers who may have already provided this information in response to similar requests may be victims of identity theft. Therefore, they should immediately file a complaint with the FTC and then contact the CPB at www.nysconsumer.gov for information and next steps on protecting their identity or remediating their situation.

New York's deadline to register to vote is 25 days before the election, which this year is Friday, October 10, 2008. The State form is available from the NYS Board of Elections (BOE), 40 Steuben Street, Albany, NY

12207-2108 or consumers may go to www.elections.state.ny.us to look up their voter registration, find their polling place or access links to Voter Registration Forms and information on Absentee Voting. State and federal law requires consumers to provide their NY driver’s license number as an Identification Number when registering to vote. If consumers do not have a license, they may then provide the last four digits of their Social Security number, as directed by New York State. The New York State BOE will accept either the State or National form to register to vote. Voter registration questions should be directed to local election boards or the NYS Board of Elections. Consumers may find further information and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s National Voter Registration Form at www.eac.gov/voter.

The CPB, established in 1970 by the New York State Legislature, is the State's top consumer watchdog and think tank. The CPB's core mission is to protect New Yorkers by publicizing unscrupulous and questionable business practices and product recalls; conducting investigations and hearings; enforcing the Do Not Call law; researching issues; developing legislation; creating consumer education programs and materials; responding to individual marketplace complaints by securing voluntary agreements; and, representing the interests of consumers before the Public Service Commission and other State and federal agencies.