A Mysterious Imposter Account Was Used On Facebook To Drum Up Support For The Migrant Caravan

[DonViejo]

Source: BuzzFeed News



Days before the migrant caravan left Honduras, a fake Facebook account was used to try to bolster its numbers. The social media giant has since deactivated the account but has refused to provide information about who created it.

Ken Bensinger
BuzzFeed News Reporter

Karla Zabludovsky
BuzzFeed News Reporter

Posted on December 6, 2018, at 12:17 p.m. ET

Just days before the migrant caravan set out from Honduras, an imposter stole the identity of a prominent early supporter on Facebook, using a fake account to try to boost the caravan’s numbers.

Bartolo Fuentes, a Honduran activist, journalist, and former lawmaker told BuzzFeed News that someone used the phony account to send Facebook messages falsely claiming that established migrant groups were organizing the effort. News like that — coming from a well-known public figure in Honduras, such as Fuentes — could go a long way to convincing people to join the group of migrants traveling to the US.

The caravan, which threaded north through Guatemala and Mexico, eventually ballooned in size to more than 7,000 people. It also became a political flashpoint in the lead-up to last month’s US midterm elections.

In response to a query from BuzzFeed News, a Facebook spokesperson said the phony account “was removed for violating [the company’s] misrepresentation policy,” but declined to share any further information, such as what country it originated from, what email address was used to open it, or any other details that might reveal who was behind it. Facebook added that, barring a subpoena or request from law enforcement, it does not share such information out of respect for the privacy of its users.

Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/kenbensinger/a-mysterious-imposter-account-was-used-on-facebook-to-drum

[pecosbob]

1. Sounds like one of Bannon's moves

20 to 1 odds it leads to the Orange Empire...

[Loki Liesmith]

2. My guess is the GRU

[pecosbob]

3. That was my overwhelming second thought...and it just depressed me...and alarmed me

[Loki Liesmith]

4. The GOP is just the political wing of Russian Intelligence anyway

*laughs bitterly*

[paleotn]

11. What's the difference?

Isn't Bannon an officer of the GRU. If he isn't, he ought to be.

[SunSeeker]

5. Facebook covering for Pooty Poot, again. nt

[dalton99a]

6. Kick

[GregD]

7. does anyone know just how this caravan actually got started?

I have always found the entire series of events, and the timing of this caravan relative to the mid-terms, odd and suspicious.

Is it known how it actually got started?

[pecosbob]

9. A good question

False flags are in vogue...

[lostnfound]

8. Congress? Do they have power to obtain such information?

I’m guessing the answer is “only as a part of an investigation.”

[Dave Starsky]

10. Have we all had enough of Facebook? I know I have.

It was great when it was a way to share pictures of your grandchildren when they graduated from swimming lessons, so you didn't have to look up all of your friends' e-mails to send pictures to them. You could just refer people to your Facebook page.

But now Facebook has been revealed as a frightening data mining and exploitation project. Who the hell wants to be part of that? There are other means for sharing pictures of your grandchildren graduating from swimming lessons, if you feel you still really need to do that.

[BBG]

12. They protect even barred, imposter users?

why would they protect the privacy of imposter credentials?

[JudyM]

13. Good question.

[reACTIONary]

14. They are protecting .....

.... themselves.

[area51]

15. kick. n/t