Over the weekend, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a warning that there have been deceptive videos in circulation “falsely claiming to be from the FBI relating to election security.” Two misinformative videos pertaining to ballot fraud and Kamala Harris’ husband have been called to light as false with no further action beyond the announcement.
Like it or not, every presidential election period has marketing that lays it on so thick that it can get hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. From moving messages to poor acting (and everything in-between), U.S citizens are treated to all kinds of information intending on selling some kind of political angle. Unfortunately, fake information—ones that spread politically fake information along with imagery—continues to be part of the mix.
Ahead of the election, the FBI called out two videos—currently in circulation claiming to be FBI security videos—as fakes and that the content “they depict is false.” One of the videos makes the claim that the FBI has apprehended three linked groups committing ballot fraud, while the other one is related to the Second Gentlemen Douglas Emhoff.
According to the FBI’s post on X, it is currently “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.”
This post comes a day after news broke out that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), the FBI, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) intercepted a video that falsely showed individuals claiming to be from Haiti voting illegally in several counties in Georgia. Another video accused an individual associated with the Democratic presidential campaign receiving a bribe from a U.S. entertainer. It was found that both videos was created by Russian influence actors in order to spread further division among Americans.
In any case, the FBI encourages to everyone to stay vigilant when it comes to seeking election and voting information. Reliable sources, such as local election offices, would be your best bet. However, the FBI also asks that anyone suspecting any criminal activity to contact their state/local law enforcement or local FBI field office.
Vote in peace, dear readers.