Is that campaign merch store official? Here's how to tell

You're scrolling online when you spot a campaign T-shirt supporting your favorite candidate. The website looks professional, the merchandise looks legitimate and the address includes the candidate's name. You might even see the word "official" at the top of the page. So, you assume your purchase . But what if the candidate has nothing to do with that store?

With the Nov. 3 midterm elections approaching, new research shared with CyberGuy reveals a troubling discovery in Texas. Researchers at Attaxion identified 626 unofficial election-related domains, including 30 online merchandise stores presenting themselves as official campaign shops.

Attaxion says it could not verify an official campaign connection for any of the 30 stores. Even more surprising, researchers found that nearly all appeared to come from just two sellers offering merchandise for competing Republicans and Democrats. The findings arrive as the FBI warns about election-related scams involving fake merchandise, fraudulent donations and websites designed to steal personal information. And while this investigation focuses on Texas, the warning signs apply to elections and online shopping across the country.

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DON'T LET FAKE ELECTION WEBSITES FOOL YOU BEFORE 2026 MIDTERMS

Texas voters are already heading to the polls. Early voting for the Nov. 3 general election began Oct. 19 and continues through Oct. 30. Meanwhile, researchers are finding that candidates' names have become valuable online real estate. Attaxion, a cybersecurity company that helps organizations identify vulnerable websites and other online threats, examined domains connected to the state's U.S. Senate race, governor's race and six competitive congressional districts. The investigation also included websites resembling election offices and voter information pages.

Researchers initially identified 704 domains. After excluding 25 official sites and another 53 domains connected to campaigns or election offices, 626 unofficial addresses remained. Of those, 553 had DNS records when checked. That means the domains had some internet configuration, although it does not establish that each hosted an active website. The Senate race accounted for 323 unofficial domains. Another 75 referenced House candidates, while 70 used gubernatorial candidates' names. The remaining domains referenced election offices or general election-related terms.

Importantly, an unofficial domain is not automatically a scam. Some may belong to supporters, critics or independent businesses. Others may be registered without hosting an active website. However, the researchers identified a smaller group that deserves closer attention.

Of the 626 unofficial domains, Attaxion identified 30 online stores that presented themselves as official merchandise sellers for . The stores promoted products associated with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton and Democratic opponent James Talarico. Others used the names of Republican Gov. Greg