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Nov 74 min read

RACIST RHETORIC SENT TO INDIVIDUALS NATIONWIDE VIA TEXT MESSAGES; VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL CONDEMNS THE MESSAGES

Noah Kuttymartin, Amelia Bell, Colin Landry, Extremism

Angelina Sammarco, Naureen Salim Editor; Evan Beachler, Senior Editor

November 7th, 2024 


Hacker Typing[1]


Event: On November 7, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office (OAG) provided a statement condemning the racist text messages received by individuals across the state and nationwide,[2] including Virginia, Georgia, Michigan, South Carolina, and Alabama.[3] Initially sent out on November 6, the messages greet the recipient by name and inform the individual that they will start work on a plantation. The individuals responsible are currently unknown because the text messages come from different phone numbers with slight detail changes.[4] 


Significance: Spoofing threats will likely continue until law enforcement arrests the responsible threat actors. These messages, likely originating from white supremacist groups, appear intended to instill fear and marginalize communities. Local law enforcement will likely coordinate with state and federal agencies to discover the origin of these threats while ensuring safety in communities, college campuses, and regions populated with people of color. Law enforcement and security personnel will likely prepare for increased racial tensions, sponsoring safe spaces and mental health resources.


This racial rhetoric will likely continue on college campuses, such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), American University, and many Ivy League schools, which host diverse communities and are hubs of social equality, politcal protests, and racial justice movements. These racist messages will likely continue to elevate concerns among students, faculty, and staff of color regarding their safety and inclusion on campus. Recipients of these messages will very likely report to pertinent authorities like the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), local government offices, and local police, likely initiating a larger investigation to find the origin and combat these threats.


Persistent data insecurity will likely enable threat actors to continue sending these threatening texts by exposing personal information, such as phone numbers and usernames. Leaks including both names and phone numbers very likely enable threat actors to incorporate both into their threats, addressing the target by their first name or phone number. Using leaked personal information, threat actors will likely seek to surveil targets through open sources, including social media. Through the open-source collection, the senders of harmful texts will very likely personalize their threats by identifying aspects of their personal lives that these threats can use, such as their addresses, nicknames, or family members. Personalization of these threats will very likely increase the distress that the recipient experiences by invading their privacy and creating a sense of exploitation.


Recommendations

  • The Counterterrorism Group (CTG) recommends that any individual receiving a similar message report it immediately to their local FBI and Attorney General offices. This measure will help law enforcement agencies to track and stop the texts from being sent out before they can cause further harm.

  • State and local law enforcement should work closely with cybersecurity agencies, such as the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to monitor, track, and trace IP addresses linked to these racially motivated messages.

  • State and local officials in the affected areas should offer psychological support and counseling for victims of these messages to help them cope with any trauma or stress. They should work with online hate prevention organizations and groups that support victims of racial violence. Local schools of the students affected should offer support as well.

  • Social media users should limit the information they share publicly, critically evaluate new followers or connections, and avoid accepting friend or follow requests from strangers. Users should also use reputable data leak search engines or monitoring software to check for any exposure of their personal information.

  • Social media companies should be vigilant for any leaks of user information, ensure regular cybersecurity audits, and immediately notify affected users of any breaches.

  • If there is any additional and or critical information please contact us at The Counterterrorism Group (CTG) by Telephone 202-643-2848 or email info@counterterrorismgroup.com


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[1] Hacker typing photo, generated by a third party database

[2] Virginia Attorney General condemns racist text messages sent out following Presidential election, 13NewsNow, November 2024, https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/racist-text-message-sent-virginia-attorney-general-condemns-plantation-cotton/291-3c46b3dd-930f-4496-86d8-529f3974f3bc 

[4] Ibid

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