Foreign trolls targeting US. vets

Foreign “trolls” are targeting U.S. veterans through a complex network of fraudulent social media pages that mimic known service groups and brands, officials at Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) warned in a new report released Sept. 18. “Their goals are to perpetrate financial fraud, spread anti-American propaganda, manipulate the online public community spaces and sow discord by exploiting and inflaming national divisions,” the VVA analysis stated. The findings are part of a 2-year report on the influence of foreigners on the American veterans’ community. Author Kris Goldsmith, chief investigator and associate director for policy and government affairs at VVA, said the report should serve as a wake-up call for law enforcement and the public. Goldsmith first got involved in tracking the problem after discovering an unauthorized “Vietnam Vets of America” Facebook page using the VVA logo, run by a Bulgarian “troll farm”, in 2017. In some cases, the sites appear to be scams designed to peddle unauthorized merchandise, a long-standing problem within the veterans community. But others focus more on creating confusion and division. VVA is also pushing the White House to issue an executive order “to protect troops and veterans from exploitation by foreign actors and to strengthen American cybersecurity.” The full report is on the VVA website. (Source: Military Times 09/17/19) https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/09/17/overseas-trolls-targeting-veterans-on-social-media-report/