The FBI says people who receive racist text messages should continue to report them to federal investigators.
The FBI said that they are aware of the offensive messages received by people in African-American and Black communities around the country and have gotten in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities.
“The reports are not identical and vary in their specific language, but many say the recipient has been selected to pick cotton on a plantation,” the FBI said.
It was reported that the text messages have expanded to high school students, as well as Hispanic and LGBTQIA+ communities. Some recipients reported being told that they had been selected for deportation or to report to a re-education camp.
“Although we have not received reports of violent acts stemming from these offensive messages, we are evaluating all reported incidents and engaging with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division,” the FBI said.
Recipients of messages consistent with those described are encouraged to report the details to the FBI by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.
“As always, we encourage members of the public to remain vigilant and report threats of violence or anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement immediately, call their local FBI office, or submit a report to tips.fbi.gov,” the FBI said in a statement.
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