Researchers Discover 30 Unofficial Texas Campaign Merchandise Stores

A recent investigation by cybersecurity company Attaxion has identified 30 online merchandise stores in Texas that present themselves as official campaign shops but have no verifiable connection to the candidates they represent. The findings come as the FBI warns of increasing election-related scams, including fraudulent merchandise sales.

The research, which focused on domains related to Texas's U.S. Senate race, governor's race, and several congressional districts, uncovered a total of 626 unofficial election-related domains. Among these, 30 were identified as online stores selling merchandise for political candidates. Attaxion reported being unable to verify any official campaign connection for these 30 stores.

One of the most striking discoveries was that nearly all of these unofficial stores appeared to be operated by just two sellers, identified as ShirtGoat and madetoprints. These sellers reportedly created merchandise stores for candidates from opposing political parties, suggesting a commercial motive rather than political affiliation. For instance, stores supporting both Republican and Democratic nominees in Texas's 23rd Congressional District seemed to share an operator. Researchers noted that these sellers used similar website templates, swapping out candidate names and merchandise, and sometimes adopted slogans found on official campaign products.

Alexandre François, a Research Contributor at Attaxion, stated that the appearance of these websites can be deceptive. "The first thing to know is that appearance is no longer a reliable guide. With AI, anyone can quickly build a polished store with well-written text," François said. He added that these unofficial stores often lacked the expected "Paid for by" disclaimers required for campaign communications, though independent sellers are not always legally mandated to provide them. Additionally, the stores failed to offer verifiable company identities and business addresses.

Attaxion's investigation involved comparing website information against official records from the Federal Election Commission and the Texas Ethics Commission. Researchers also examined registration data and reviewed store policies and checkout processes. None of these checks yielded any evidence of an official link to the campaigns.

Beyond merchandise scams, the FBI has cautioned the public about other election-related fraudulent activities. These include fake donation requests and deceptive voter-registration messages that lead to phishing sites designed to steal personal information. The bureau highlighted that artificial intelligence can make these scams more convincing, producing realistic text and voice communications.

Attaxion did not determine whether customers lost money through the identified merchandise stores, as they did not conduct test purchases or analyze payment records. However, the researchers observed that some of the unofficial domains received internet traffic, indicating they were being accessed.

To protect consumers, experts advise several precautions when shopping online, especially for political merchandise or donations. These include verifying the legitimacy of websites by starting with the candidate's official campaign site, carefully checking the full website address for misspellings or alterations, and confirming the identity of the organization receiving any payment. Using secure payment methods like credit cards, which offer stronger consumer protections, is also recommended. Additionally, individuals should be wary of unexpected texts or emails and avoid creating accounts on unfamiliar websites without verifying their authenticity.

If consumers have already made a purchase from a suspicious website, they are advised to contact the seller or their card issuer immediately if an order does not arrive or if unauthorized charges appear. Saving records, reviewing financial accounts, changing reused passwords, and reporting suspected fraud to the FTC or FBI are also crucial steps.