The FBI reports new hoax videos after warning that Russia is trying to undermine the election

This story originally appeared as part of NPR’s live coverage of the 2024 election. For more election coverage from NPR Network, visit our live updates page.

On Tuesday evening, the FBI called in three fake videos and press releases that it said are the latest in a series designed to “mislead the American public” about the 2024 election.

The hoaxes include a fabricated statement from the FBI to journalists and bloggers “against publishing information about violence at polling places,” claiming it could lead to more such incidents.

Another fake is a video impersonating the FBI and another federal agency suggesting in a joint statement that schools suspend in-person instruction until November 11 because “the risk of school shootings and unrest due to the election is clear has risen”.

A third fake video claims the office received “9,000 complaints about faulty voting machines” that purportedly cast votes for a candidate.

In each case, the FBI said the forgery was “not authentic, did not come from the FBI, and its contents were false.”

The office has warned against this other made up videos and declarations using his name and insignia spread false claims Voter fraud and security warnings in recent days. researchers at Antibot4Navalnywhich tracks Russian disinformation, said the fakes were likely created by Russia.

America’s geopolitical adversaries, particularly Russia, Iran and China, have actively sought to influence this year’s election as part of their larger goals of sowing chaos and discrediting democracy.

Russia is trying to bolster Trump, as it did in the previous two presidential elections, while Iran is trying to undermine the former president, intelligence officials and private researchers say. China appears to have no preference in the presidential election, but is targeting congressional elections.

All three regularly take up divisive issues, from immigration to abortion to Israel’s war in Gaza, to exacerbate discord among Americans. And they have all experimented with using artificial intelligence to produce even more misleading content.

After Nov. 5, the stakes could be even higher as foreign adversaries are expected to amplify election fraud claims and produce their own material to sow doubt about the results. For example, Russia is behind a fake video showing the destruction of ballots in Pennsylvania that was widely shared on social media last week.

On Monday, a joint statement from federal authorities warned: “Influence actors linked to Russia, in particular, are producing videos and creating fake articles to undermine the legitimacy of the election, instill fear among voters about the electoral process and create the impression that Americans “Use violence against each other based on political preferences.”

Foreign countries are better prepared to exploit the potential uncertainty of the post-election period this year thanks to lessons learned from the 2020 cycle and a better understanding of what happens after polls close, according to a newly declassified intelligence assessment.

Intelligence officials say Russia and Iran could even incite violence by stoking threats against election workers and encouraging protests.

Load…

NPR’s Camila Domonoske contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 NPR