Trump Tries to Raise Money With Fake “Failed Application” Scam Email

President Trump’s campaign is using a misleading email to solicit donations by fooling people into thinking an application failed.

The Trump-Vance campaign’s email to supporters starts with the subject line “Respectfully, I’m sorry.” The email then tells them that their “Trump Inner Circle” application “FAILED because of technical difficulties.”

“Was this a technical error? Your application was denied!” the email reads, before directing the recipient to click a button labeled “TRY AGAIN HERE.”

The email, which was first reported on by MeidasTouch News, ends with a message that Trump is “expecting to see your name” on his “roster before the doors close at midnight tonight,” creating a sense of urgency to fix or complete the application. But there is no application. Clicking the button just redirects to a fundraising page asking for a contribution.

It looks like a typical email scam, down to the bright red color used on the “TRY AGAIN HERE” button. But the email address it’s coming from is legitimate: contact@win.donaldjtrump.com, and it’s likely to dupe a lot of Trump supporters, particularly older people who think they need to pay up. It’s not the first time Trump has done this.

In December, Trump sent out a fundraising email warning recipients that Democrats would steal their “tariff rebate checks” if they didn’t donate money to him within the hour. Republicans as a whole have often raked in cash from older people, even when they have dementia, with misleading tactics.

Trump has already raised a massive war chest, with many Republicans worrying that he’s hoarding much-needed funds. He’s not even engaging with GOP members of Congress on Capitol Hill that much. These fundraising emails appear to be yet another grift. ...