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stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"25.474315068493\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"34.274553571429\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/news\/election-security\/\"> <span>Election Security<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> The bureau said the videos and their underlying claims were not genuine, while a disinformation researcher linked the activity to the Russian group Doppelganger. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/82415\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud-2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud-2.jpg?resize=505,337 505w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud-2.jpg?resize=1012,675 1012w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1012px) 100vw, 1012px\"><figcaption> Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters is photographed on Oct. 8, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kent Nishimura\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"38.804932735426\"><body readability=\"78.975\"><\/p>\n<p>The FBI is warning that a pair of videos circulating online that purport to be from the bureau are fake, including one making false claims about arresting groups linked to the Democratic party for ballot fraud.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe FBI is aware of two videos falsely claiming to be from the FBI relating to election security, one stating the FBI has apprehended linked groups committing ballot fraud and a second relating to the Second Gentleman,\u201d the agency said in a statement Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>In one of the videos viewed by CyberScoop, a voice plays over still photos of individuals wearing FBI shirts and other images claiming that \u201cthree linked groups have been apprehended for rigging early voting by mail in ballots.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The video goes on to claim that lists of recently deceased U.S. citizens and Americans over the age of 90 were used \u201cfor electoral falsification.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>It also includes supposed quotes from the investigative journalist Eliot Higgins, who writes for Bellingcat, an organization that uses open-source research techniques to debunk false narratives and has been a constant thorn in the side of the Russian government.<\/p>\n<p>In the video, Higgins is quoted as saying \u201cwe have seen this before in 2020\u201d and while the FBI did a \u201cgreat job\u201d then \u201cthat does not mean the election will be transparent and honest.\u201d The video ends by claiming \u201cwe don\u2019t know how many such groups, acting on behalf of the Democrats, there are still in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>CyberScoop has reached out to Higgins through Bellingcat for comment. <\/p>\n<p>CyberScoop has not viewed the video related to Doug Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris\u2019 husband, but a description provided by disinformation trackers described it as a video depicting the FBI claiming that that they will not investigate unspecified ties between Emhoff and a major government contractor, while claiming \u201cany manipulation on this topic is interference in the US elections.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The FBI said both videos and their underlying claims are fake.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThese videos are not authentic, are not from the FBI, and the depictions are false,\u201d the agency said.<\/p>\n<p>Darren Linvill, a professor at Clemson University and co-director of the Media Forensics Hub, said the video appears to be another piece of Russian-led disinformation targeting U.S. elections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe posts we see here are consistent with what we\u2019ve seen from this campaign in the past and I believe it is likely this is also <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/tag\/doppelganger\/\">Doppelganger<\/a> content,\u201d Linvill told CyberScoop, referring to the threat group linked to Russian government contractors and President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n<p>Linvill added Doppelganger\u2019s posts don\u2019t \u201ctend to get a lot of engagement; it\u2019s high volume and low-quality content. Sometimes they get lucky, however.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. intelligence community has <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/us-officials-warn-foreign-disinformation-from-russia-may-flood-post-election-period\/\">been warning<\/a> for the past month that foreign actors would likely increase the dissemination of fake or manipulated media claiming voter fraud, corruption and other allegations meant to boost claims of a rigged election and reduce faith in the integrity of U.S. democracy.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the past two weeks alone, the U.S. government and private researchers have called out multiple examples, including a fake video <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/pennsylvania-disinformation-voter-fraud-domestic-foreign\/?utm_campaign=CyberScoop%20-%20Editorial&utm_content=314366474&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-720664083767435264\">depicting the destruction<\/a> of ballots cast for former President Donald Trump in Bucks County, Pa., and another video purporting to be from a Haitian immigrant <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/haitian-immigrant-voting-georgia-disinformation-brad-raffensperger\/\">claiming to have voted multiple times<\/a> with multiple IDs.<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.4275741710297\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. Johnson\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Derek B. Johnson<\/h4>\n<p> Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. Derek has a bachelor\u2019s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master\u2019s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> 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{"id":6066,"date":"2024-11-02T14:15:04","date_gmt":"2024-11-02T19:15:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=82415"},"modified":"2024-11-02T14:15:04","modified_gmt":"2024-11-02T19:15:04","slug":"fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2024\/11\/02\/fbi-flags-false-videos-impersonating-agency-claiming-democratic-ballot-fraud\/","title":{"rendered":"FBI flags false videos impersonating agency, claiming Democratic ballot fraud"},"content":{"rendered":"