FBI warns that fake videos using its name, insignia are spreading election misinformation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday it was aware of two instances of its name and insignia being used to spread misinformation surrounding the 2024 presidential election.
The videos were among a number of fabricated clips mimicking news organizations and officials circulated online on Monday, spreading false information about security threats and election integrity as tens of millions of Americans head to the polls. The videos were likely created by a Russian disinformation group, researchers say.
Two videos, created to look like they were released by the FBI, made false claims about voter fraud, alleging that the management of five prisons in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona, had rigged inmate voting and colluded with a political party. The videos are not authentic, and their contents are false, the FBI said.
Other fabricated videos have been shared in recent days. One fabricated video, created to look like a report from CBS News, falsely said the FBI was advising people to "vote remotely" due to a potential terror attack. No such warning has been issued by U.S. officials and no such report has been produced by CBS News. The account that posted the video on the social media platform X was suspended on Monday afternoon.
"This video is not authentic and does not accurately represent the current threat posture or polling location safety," the FBI said in a statement Tuesday.
Another video was fabricated to look like it was produced by Fox News.
The videos were likely created by the same Russian disinformation group that released two additional fabricated FBI videos in recent days, according to Antibot4Navalny, a collective of researchers that tracks online Russian disinformation.
The group has a history of mimicking international news outlets and U.S. government entities. Many of their posts include QR codes that link to legitimate news outlets to make the posts appear authentic. The group published similar false claims about threats ahead of the Olympics.
"Election integrity is among our highest priorities, and the FBI is working closely with state and local law enforcement partners to respond to election threats and protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote," the FBI said Tuesday. "Attempts to deceive the public with false content about FBI threat assessments and activities aim to undermine our democratic process and erode trust in the electoral system."
