January 15, 2021
Alert Number
I-011521-PSA
Questions regarding this PSA should be directed to your local FBI Field Office.
Local Field Office Locations: www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices
Iranian Cyber Actors Continue to Threaten US Election Officials
The FBI is issuing this announcement to help the public recognize Iranian activity intended to create fear, divisions, and mistrust in the United States and undermine public confidence in the US electoral process.
Iranian cyber actors are continuing their "Enemies of the People" (EOTP) online operations by threatening the lives of US federal, state, and private sector officials using direct email and text messaging, as well as exposing officials' personal information and photographs on websites. The Iranian cyber actors have sought to intimidate some of the officials with direct threats, including an image of an apparent text communication between the EOTP actors and an unidentified individual in the United States purportedly supporting the operation. Individuals in the United States intent on disrupting the peaceful transition of power potentially may be inspired by and act upon these influence efforts to harass, harm, threaten, or attack individuals specifically identified.
The actors are also using social media sites to promote and disseminate messaging about the EOTP operation, likely due to past suspensions of EOTP websites. The FBI identified the below accounts assessed to be associated with the EOTP operation as either disseminating threatening messages or amplifying the EOTP campaign:
enemies0fthepe0ple[@]protonmail[.]com
EnemiesOfThePeople[@]protonmail[.]com
E.0.T.P[@]protonmail[.]com
enemiesofthenation[@]protonmail[.]com
ep.ep.ep2020[@]protonmail[.]com
Enemiesofthepeople[@]hotmail[.]com
@karakara63 (Twitter)
@E0TP (Parler)
@Eddie12ud342u (Parler)
@loriii2020 (Parler)
@riley1989 (Parler)
Previously reported accounts associated with the EOTP operation include:
enemiesofthepeople@tutanota.com
6e.nemiesOfThepeople.e9@protonmail.com
3e.nemiesOfThePeopl.e3@protonmail.com
3e.nemiesOfThePeopl.e3@gmail.com
The FBI urges the public to critically evaluate the sources of the information they consume and to seek out reliable and verified information. The FBI is responsible for investigating malign foreign influence operations and malicious cyber activity targeting election infrastructure, and other US democratic institutions. The FBI also investigates federal election crimes and violent crimes, including threats of violence against US election or other public officials. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate credible threats made against US election officials through any media, including websites and telephonic or electronic communications.
For previous reporting on this activity, please see the FBI and CISA Public Service Announcement, titled "Iranian Cyber Actors Responsible for Website Threatening US Election Officials" (https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2020/PSA201228), from 23 December 2020.
Victim Reporting and Additional Information
The FBI encourages the public to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to their local field office (www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices) or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov).
https://www.ic3.gov/Media/Y2021/PSA210115