CLEVELAND — As scammers get more technologically savvy, they're using QR codes more often to trick people into opening harmful links on their personal devices.
One 3News viewer shared a mailer she received with us, which says it's from a group called Tobin Research and directs people to scan a QR code to take a survey on behalf of the Voter Participation Center.
THE QUESTION
So let's VERIFY: "Is this mailer inviting people to use a QR code to take an 'Ohio Civic Attitudes Survey' legitimate?"
SOURCES
Our sources are:
- The Voter Participation Center
- The Tobin Project
- Angle Mathews Mastagni Political Strategies LLC
- Texas Secretary of State's Office
EXPLANATION
First, let's talk about why this mailer raises some eyebrows:
- It includes a QR code, a feature being used increasingly more often for scams.
- It creates a sense of urgency by saying the survey is only available for a limited time, until either Nov. 25 or when enough responses are received — whichever comes first.
- It offers payment for those who take the survey in the form of a $5 gift card.
- It says it’s from a group called Tobin Research, which can't be easily found using an independent internet search.
When we searched for "Tobin Research" online, a group called "The Tobin Project" kept coming up, so we reached out to them and they told me they have no association with this mailer.
The Tobin Project's Director of Strategy and Operations Euriphile Joseph said, "The Tobin Project would never solicit information from individuals in this way. We are a non-partisan academic research organization that has worked -- for nearly two decades -- to bring greater understanding to some of the most thorny issues that we face in our democracy. You may refer to our website for more information on our focus."
In light of this, we had to dig deeper to VERIFY this one for you.
The mailer also says it's being sent on behalf of the Voter Participation Center (VPC), which does come up quickly when I looked for it online on my own (This is the same group that sent out controversial letters leading up to the November 2024 election, in an effort to increase voter turnout).
I reached out VPC, and they confirmed they did in fact send out this survey. The group's President and CEO Tom Lopach stated:
"After elections, the non-profit and non-partisan Voter Participation Center (VPC) often sends voters a Civic Attitudes Survey to better understand how our mail programs are working, and to improve them as needed. All responses to the surveys are kept strictly private, and individual information is never released or used publicly. VPC will use aggregated information from the survey to improve our mail-based programs, to make sure that more eligible American citizens get the chance to participate in our democracy."
I asked the group to explain why "Tobin Research" is listed on the signature line on this mailer, and VPC's spokesperson told me the company they use to carry out this survey is Angle Mathews Mastagni Political Strategies LLC (AMM). According to a filing with the Texas Secretary of State, AMM created a DBA (which stands for "Doing Business As") in order to be able to operate under the name "Tobin Research."
In an email obtained by 3News, AMM spokesperson J.D. Angle said, "AMM employs a DBA to help manage any potential bias in data collection during the conduct of a survey."
ANSWER
So we can VERIFY that yes, this mailer inviting people to use a QR code to take an "Ohio Civic Attitudes Survey" is legitimate. If you get this invitation in the mail, it's safe to take the survey, if you want to.
Remember, if you see something you want us to fact check, you can send it our way at VERIFY@wkyc.com.
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