Texas campaign merch has become a messy online free-for-all, with researchers finding dozens of unofficial stores dressed up to look like campaign-run shops. The big warning sign is simple: a polished website and a name like “official” do not prove a real campaign connection, and shoppers can easily end up sending money to strangers instead of candidates.
Researchers at Attaxion examined election-related domains tied to Texas races and uncovered a wide web of suspicious sites. Among them were 30 merchandise stores that appeared to be selling candidate gear while implying a direct link to campaigns, even though no verified connection could be established for any of them.
That matters because political shopping has a trust problem. People want to support a candidate, grab a shirt, and move on, but the internet makes it easy for anyone to copy the look and feel of a campaign page. When a site seems believable at a glance, that is often enough to get a quick purchase before anyone stops to question who is actually behind it.
The researchers found that the 30 stores were not random one-offs. Most seemed to trace back to just two seller identities, with both names popping up across candidate pages for Republicans and Democrats alike. That odd overlap made the operation look more commercial than political, especially when the same seller appeared to handle opposing sides of the same race.
Several of the domains were tied to prominent Texas names, including Ken Paxton, James Talarico, Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa. Some of the sites used the same layouts, recycled policy language and swapped out only the candidate’s name, which is exactly the sort of shortcut that can make an unauthorized shop feel real.
Part of the danger is how clean these sites can look. Gone are the days when bad grammar and clunky graphics were the easiest giveaway, because AI and template tools can now whip up a convincing storefront in no time. A site can feature a tidy checkout process, sharp photos and familiar campaign language while still having nothing to do with the candidate it appears to support.
That is why the usual surface clues are not enough. The word “official” in a web address means very little, and a slick product page can hide the fact that there is no clear business identity, no reliable address and no verified campaign disclosure.
The investigation also turned up a stranger twist outside the merchandise angle. One expired election-related domain, elpasoelections.com, no longer pointed to election information at all and instead led to an online casino aimed at Australian users. It was a sharp reminder that a familiar-looking web address can change hands and turn into something totally unrelated.
This is exactly why election and shopping caution now overlap so much. A website that once belonged to a government office, nonprofit or campaign can be repurposed after registration lapses, and the new owner may have nothing to do with the original mission. A trusted name on the surface does not guarantee anything about who controls the domain today.
The FBI has already warned that criminals use election season to push fake merchandise, bogus donation asks and phishing messages designed to scoop up personal data. Those scams can arrive by text, email or social media, and the rise of AI makes them harder to spot because the language and branding can look polished and legitimate.
For shoppers, the safest move is to start from a campaign’s verified site rather than from a random search result or promo link. It also helps to inspect the full web address, look for a real “Paid for by” disclosure when one should be there, and check the seller’s name before entering payment details.
Buying from an unfamiliar store should always trigger a little skepticism. Search for complaints, read refund terms, and make sure there is a real way to reach customer support. If the site is vague about who runs it, that is a strong signal to walk away.
If money has already been sent to a questionable site, quick action matters. Save receipts, review card statements, dispute suspicious charges and report fraud when something looks off. The broader lesson is blunt and practical: campaign merchandise can be fun, but the internet is packed with lookalikes, and a flashy storefront is no substitute for a verified source.
