Authorities investigate racist texts sent to people in the US – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The FBI is investigating offensive and racist text messages targeting Black people across the country.

The agency is working with the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and other law enforcement agencies to find out who is behind it.

A day after the election, Corryn Freeman said she was at home with her children when she got a text from a number she didn’t recognize. She described the racist message in a conversation with NBC News.

“It was a strange, ominous text message that basically said, ‘Hello, you have been selected to become a slave on a plantation, and you will be picked up on November 13 at noon,’” Vrijman said.

The FBI said it has received reports of similar texts in at least 10 states.

Several schools, including Ohio State University, Missouri State University and the University of Alabama, confirm that their students have reported receiving the texts.

Clemson said they came from numbers ‘associated with online spoofing sites’

The FBI is now investigating who is behind the message. And on Thursday, TextNow, which offers toll-free phone numbers online, told NBC News that at least one of its accounts could be involved, writing in a statement: “We do not condone or condone the use of our service to send harassing or spam messages. It added that it has closed the accounts and is cooperating with authorities.

As a recipient, Freeman said the digital hate fuels her real-world concerns.

“I am overwhelmed with worry and anxiety about how I am going to help my children understand the world they must navigate as Black children,” she said.

The FBI encourages anyone who receives threats of violence to report them to their local law enforcement.

The FTC is urging people who receive the messages to mark them as spam or junk so they are reported to the messaging app.