Con artists running phishing scams will use just about any ploy to get people to give up their personal information over the Internet or the phone. Often times they take advantage of a story in the news, like the IRS rebate checks.

It stands to reason that we might see these scams disguised as voter registration drives. In Missouri, you have until October 7th to register to vote, and consumers should not give their personal information to anyone who calls or e-mails offering to get them registered. This could lead to identity theft.

Also, the Missouri voter registration form only requires the last four digits of your Social Security number. So our advice is to go to your county clerk's office and register on site.