Voters report email threats
Personalized messages try to intimidate voters
Personalized messages are appearing in inboxes from Florida to Alaska, threatening to “come after you” for not supporting Trump.
Federal cybersecurity officials are warning Americans that claims made in threatening emails sent to voters in Florida and other states are false and meant to sow doubt in the integrity of the presidential election.
The emails, which purport to have been sent from “info@officialproudboys.com,” say the group has the voter’s contact information and would “come after” them if they didn’t vote for President Donald Trump.
“These emails are meant to intimidate and undermine American voters’ confidence in our elections,” said Christopher Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at the Department of Homeland Security.
Though the emails claim to know which candidate someone casts a ballot for, Krebs posted a message on Twitter reminding Americans that ballot secrecy is guaranteed by law in every state.
“This is what we mean by not falling for sensational and unverified claims,” he said. “The last line of defense in election security is you – the American voter. So be prepared, be a smart consumer and sharer of information.”
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law has received reports from roughly 100 voters who said they received the emails, according to David Brody, counsel and senior fellow for privacy and technology. The voters live in multiple states, but the “overwhelming majority” are in Florida, he said.
“Your ballot is a secret. These emails are a scam.” David Brody Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Brody said the organization is still trying to determine the scope of the scam and who may be behind it.
“The important things to emphasize here are, everyone should know that it’s completely safe to vote, and that your vote is secure, and that no one – not even election officials – can determine who you voted for,” he said. “Your ballot is secret. These emails are a scam. And they’re a hoax that are designed to threaten and intimidate people.”
The Proud Boys, a far-right group that espouses militant authoritarian ideology, has denied involvement and said the emails were “spoofed,” a technique used to hide the true source of electronic communications.
“It wasn’t us,” Enrique Tarrio, international chairman of the Proud Boys, told USA TODAY. “Whoever did this should be in prison for a long time.”
Krebs said his agency is looking into the emails but did not elaborate. Voter intimidation is a federal offense subject to up to one year in prison.
Some voters in Alaska received similar emails, and authorities notified the FBI, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
The Washington Post reported that voters in Arizona and Pennsylvania received threatening emails, too. However, the Arizona Secretary of State’s office said it hasn’t received complaints from voters.
On a conference call Tuesday, top election officials in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio said such misinformation or disinformation campaigns are among their biggest challenges this election.
“It is unfortunate, but it is a reality that we live with – whether it’s coming from foreign adversaries or coming from our own domestic American politicians,” Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said.