Massachusetts man ordered to remove fake political sites targeting Michigan voters

FOX 2 - A Massachusetts man was ordered to take down fraudulent political websites last week due to a lawsuit by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.

The backstory:

Donald Peltier, of South Hadley, operated multiple websites claiming to be associated with the Democratic and Republican parties including "democraticnationalcommittee.co," "maf.democrat," and "republicannationalcommittee.org" to obtain donations from the public.

The Ingham County court’s order requires Peltier to shut down the fraudulent websites, stop attempts to get money or anything of value by false pretenses, and pay fines of $300 per day if he fails to comply with the order within two weeks.

Nessel filed a lawsuit against him in October 2024.

"Michiganders should be able to support causes they believe in without having their hard-earned dollars taken by scammers," Nessel said. "My office will continue to pursue those who exploit political contributions through deception."

Nessel is reminding voters to remain vigilant and carefully evaluate websites with the midterm election cycle near, before donating to them.

Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have official websites. Michigan residents interested in donating to a political party, campaign, or Political Action Committee (PAC), should keep the following in mind:

• Be proactive: Seek out causes or campaigns that align with their values rather than responding to unsolicited fundraisers.
• Don’t rely on names alone: Scammers often create names that sound official.
• Conduct research: Federal PACs are required to register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
• Review their records to determine whether they are well-established or potentially fraudulent.
• Be cautious of scam PACs targeting seniors: Elders are often targets for scammers.
• Be wary of phone calls and texts asking for donations: These tactics are commonly used by bad actors.
• Cross-reference information: Visit the PAC’s website, but also verify their legitimacy through reputable, independent sources. A website’s existence doesn’t guarantee it is trustworthy.

What you can do:

Residents who believe they have been solicited by or have donated to a scam PAC should report the potential scam to the FBI, FEC, and the Department of Attorney General.

Attorney General Nessel encourages consumers who believe they have donated to a fraudulent website operated by Peltier to contact:

Consumer Protection Team
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll-free: 877-765-8388