The FBI is evaluating racist text messages sent after the presidential election to people in Black, Latino, and LGBTQ+ communities by anonymous numbers.
At first, the messages – probably inspired by president-elect Donald Trump’s inflammatory language against minorities – targeted Black people, saying they would be brought to plantations to work as slaves and pick cotton.
Now, similar threats have been sent to people in Latino and LGBTQ+ communities, the FBI said. According to the agency, some recipients of these anonymous messages were told that they were selected for deportation. Others were “ordered” to report to a reeducation camp.
Trump said on Monday that his administration would declare a national emergency and use the US military to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
The FBI said it hadn’t received reports of violent acts stemming from the offensive messages. However, the federal agency is investigating all reported incidents and engaging with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
It still isn’t clear how many messages were sent. However, thousands more were blocked by wireless carriers once they were made aware of the incidents, Nick Ludlum, senior vice president of CTIA, a trade group for the US wireless communications industry, told The Washington Post.
Some of the messages claimed they were sent “from the Trump administration.” A Trump campaign spokesperson previously said it had nothing to do with the threats.
More than a week after racist text messages threatening Black people with enslavement were sent by anonymous numbers to recipients across the country, similar threats have been sent to people in Latino and LGBTQ+ communities, according to the FBI.
undefined Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) November 18, 2024
Latino recipients are receiving… pic.twitter.com/GWYfcKsSoM
It’s nevertheless interesting that the senders of these messages managed to narrowly target members of specific communities – lists with email addresses or phone numbers must have been purchased, it seems.
However, detailed lists of types of voters can be bought from data brokers that are federally unregulated and combine phone numbers with voting habits and demographic information. The nefarious spammers might have gotten such lists from campaign contractors.
At least some messages may have been sent using TextNow, an app that allows users to make free internet-based calls and text messages. The company said it had uncovered accounts that may have been used to send the messages and disabled them quickly.
Finally, foreign actors might also be involved. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that US wireless carriers T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon were among those breached during a major Chinese spying operation. Beijing has denied any involvement.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are markedmarked