UPDATE: The FBI is now warning that Russian email domains have been sending bomb threats to polling locations in several states. “None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far,” the agency said.
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Original story:
As Election Day in the US kicks off, Russia, Iran, and other foreign governments are ramping up efforts to spread disinformation, according to US intelligence agencies.
On Monday, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert, warning the public to brace for a flood of foreign-sponsored disinformation.
“Russia is the most active threat. Influence actors linked to Russia, in particular, are manufacturing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear in voters regarding the election process, and suggest Americans are using violence against each other,” the warning says.
On Monday, CNN reported that a US influencer was paid $100 “by a pro-Kremlin propagandist to post a fake video of Haitian immigrants claiming to vote in the US presidential election.”
US intelligence agencies also expect the disinformation activities to focus on swing states and “intensify” during Election Day and in the coming weeks. “These efforts risk inciting violence, including against election officials,” the alert adds.
As an example, US authorities said they suspect Russia manufactured and circulated a video “that falsely depicted an interview with an individual claiming election fraud in Arizona, which involved creating fake overseas ballots and changing voter rolls to favor Vice President Kamala Harris.”
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Today, federal investigators also said they had uncovered two videos that pretend to come from the FBI and try to steer people away from casting their ballots. “The first is a fabricated newsclip purporting to be a terrorist warning issued by the FBI. The fabricated newsclip reports falsely that the FBI purportedly stated that Americans should ‘vote remotely’ due to a high terror threat at polling stations,” the agency said.
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“Additionally, a fabricated video containing a fabricated FBI press release alleges that the management of five prisons in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona rigged inmate voting and colluded with a political party. This video is also not authentic, and its contents are false,” the agency added.
The US urges the public to rely on “trusted, official sources, in particular, state and local election officials” for their election news. The Justice Department also calls on the public to report election threats to federal authorities.
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About Michael Kan
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