Users share stories and posts that are intended to convince voters to support a candidate. CNN looked at pro-Trump accounts and found that nearly 60 of them are fake. They follow each other, share the same content, and their profile pictures show European influencers. Who is behind this? It has not yet been determined.
Debbie returns from her job in Luxembourg. To get home, she has to cross the German border. There, her son and best friend, the dog Lu, are waiting for her. But that's not the end of her work. Debbie is a model. Her image is not only part of her identity, but also the source of income from which she supports herself and her son. This image has been stolen.
Her photos were used to create a pro-Trump profile on X called Luna. In less than six months, it had nearly 30,000 followers. “It’s crazy,” says Debbie Nederlof, a model and influencer.
– What do I think? Honestly? I think to myself: what the f*ck is this? – replies Debbie Nederlof when asked what she thinks when she sees slogans like “Vote for Trump this year” next to her image. – I have nothing to do with the United States, with Trump or American politics – she adds.
“This is definitely not me. Definitely not me. This never was me and never will be me. Please unfollow this account,” Debbie says when asked what she would say to people who believe it's her.
“My social media account is my little world”
Debbie is not an isolated case. In cooperation with the institution that tracks disinformation on the internet, CNN, we managed to find almost 60 fake accounts supporting Trump. In this group, we have identified more than 10 women from all over Europe, from Denmark to the Netherlands and even Russia, whose identities were used to create accounts urging American voters to vote for Trump.
Alina is 33 and votes for Trump. But in reality, it's Kamilla from Denmark. – It's a strange situation. My social media account is my little world. I would never put anything there that could discriminate against anyone. It's very unfair – says Kamilla Broberg, a Danish influencer.
A blue check mark that was supposed to indicate account verification
The next account is Eva. There's even a blue checkmark next to the name, meaning the account is verified.
– I feel used. It's my image. I don't want people to associate me with what's being promoted on these profiles – says Nariah Tellerup, an influencer whose photos were used to create Eva's account.
Russian TV Employees, Tennessee Company, and $10 Million IndictmentMarcin Wrona/Fakty TVN
An image search allowed CNN to verify that the photos had been stolen from Instagram. The journalists also noticed a pattern. The fake accounts were following each other. A sign of a coordinated campaign. Several of the accounts posted the exact same message: “If you vote for a bombing survivor, I want to follow you.” More evidence that the accounts are connected.
It doesn't stop there. Some of the photos have been edited. In one of the Instagram photos, influencer Debbie is wearing a grey cap. On Platform X, her cap has been changed to one that reads: “Make America Great Again.”
Politicians also monitor fake accounts
It's unclear who's behind the accounts, but a former spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council, who also investigated the fake accounts, has her own hypothesis. “It's a fair question whether there might be a state behind this. We know of several countries that are using social media to spread disinformation ahead of this year's election,” notes Emily Horne, a former spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council.
Regardless of who is behind them, the accounts reach influential politicians. It turned out that the fake account using Debbie’s photos is among those followed by the official account of Doug Mastriano, a Republican senator from Pennsylvania. CNN asked the senator about it but did not receive a response.
Debbie is shocked and angry that her image has been used for such a purpose.
With Trump’s return to the platform and an endorsement from X owner Elon Musk, fake accounts appear to be flourishing, giving voice to aggrieved women.
Main image source: CNN