DES MOINES - Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate released the following statement regarding an emerging situation in multiple Iowa counties.

"My office is aware of reports that an individual or group is sending mass texts to Iowa residents impersonating local elected officials and candidates. These messages are not authentic and were not sent by the officials or candidates named.

The reported impersonated messages read:

Hello, [NAME]. I'm [NAME], your [CITY NAME] [GOVERNMENT ROLE OR OFFICE SOUGHT], and I'm listening to residents about what matters most in our community. What issues do you think should be our top priority? Reply with your thoughts or text STOP to opt out.

Impersonating public officials and candidates is unacceptable and must stop immediately. We have advised the county auditor's offices to report to local law enforcement.

Iowa voters should remain vigilant about messages claiming to be from officials or candidates. With the continued rise of election-related misinformation, we remind Iowans to always verify information through trusted sources: the Iowa Secretary of State's Office or your local county auditor.

I also want to remind Iowans that it is election season, and candidates are also conducting legitimate outreach. Legitimate outreach from candidates and pollsters will not ask for sensitive information. We urge Iowans not to provide sensitive information over text, and if making plans to donate, to navigate separately to the candidate's official donation channels. If Iowans have any questions, we encourage them to turn to trusted sources of information and reach out directly to campaigns to validate any outreach.

Iowans who receive suspected messages appearing to be impersonations should immediately report them to local law enforcement, their county auditor's office, and our office at [email protected].

Confirmed reports have come from Franklin, Johnson, and Madison Counties at the time of distribution."