The FBI is investigating offensive and racist text messages targeting black people around the country.
The bureau is working with the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission and other law enforcement agencies to find out who's behind it.
One day after the election, Corryn Freeman said she was home with her kids 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 this odd, ominous-feeling text message basically saying, ‘Hello, you've been selected to be a slave on a plantation, and you're scheduled to get picked up on at 12 a.m. on Nov. 13,’” said Freeman.
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The FBI said it 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 their students have reported receiving the texts.
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Clemson said they came from numbers "associated with online spoofing sites"
The FBI’s now investigating who's behind the message. And Thursday, TextNow, which offers free phone numbers online, told NBC News that at least one of its accounts may be involved, writing in a statement, "We do not tolerate or condone the use of our service to send harassing or spam messages.” It added that it shut down the accounts and is working with authorities.
As a recipient, Freeman said the digital hate is fueling her real-world concerns.
“I am overwhelmed with anxiety and fear about how I'm going to help my children make sense of the world that they have to navigate as black children,” she said.
The FBI encourages anyone who receives threats of violence to report it to local law enforcement.
The FTC is urging people who get the messages to mark them as spam or junk so they will be reported to the messaging app.
