American intelligence agencies have released a fresh alert regarding Russia's disinformation efforts related to elections.

U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that Russia is responsible for two new misleading videos that surfaced on social media this week, falsely alleging that Haitians voted illegally in Georgia and that Vice President Kamala Harris and her spouse accepted a $500,000 bribe from Sean Combs.

The U.S. government issued a fresh alert about these fabrications on Friday, following a prior accusation against Russia for another video that incorrectly claimed ballots were being destroyed in Pennsylvania.

Officials express concern that foreign entities are attempting to erode trust in the electoral process, and agencies responsible for ensuring the integrity of the vote next Tuesday have indicated that the current wave of false narratives is unprecedented. A senior representative from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency described it as a “fire hose of disinformation.”

This agency, along with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the F.B.I., released a statement on Friday linking both videos to Russia's strategy to influence voters in the election and exacerbate partisan tensions.

The official indicated that these instances are clear demonstrations of how foreign influence operations are “purposefully undermining the American public’s trust in American democracy.”

According to a senior official, these instances illustrate how foreign influence campaigns are “intentionally eroding the American public’s trust in the nation’s democracy.”

Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, swiftly condemned the video spreading false allegations about Haitians voting illegally multiple times in Georgia after it circulated on X on Thursday.

“This claim is untrue and represents a deliberate attempt at disinformation we’ve observed during this election,” Mr. Raffensperger stated. “It is likely a case of foreign interference aimed at creating discord and turmoil just before the election.”

Both videos were disseminated on X by a user named Alpha Fox, who characterizes the account as “sometimes satire” and has close to 650,000 followers. The account seems to belong to an individual in Massachusetts who has not replied to requests for comment.

According to X’s public statistics, the videos garnered hundreds of thousands of views. The video concerning voting in Georgia featured a man asserting that he is a Haitian immigrant who arrived in the United States six months prior and has acquired citizenship and identification documents.

“We are supporting Kamala Harris,” the man states. “Yesterday we cast our votes in Gwinnett County, and today we're voting in Fulton County.”

He proceeds to display several ID cards resembling Georgia driver’s licenses, urging “all Haitians to immigrate to America.” A closer look revealed that one image on an ID card was a stock photo. The address listed on the card directed to an office park in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Social media users additionally circulated the video within a group channel on X established by Elon Musk’s political action committee to gather claims of voter fraud.

The government’s response only briefly addressed the second video, mentioning allegations of a Democratic candidate being bribed by a performer.

The Microsoft Threat Analysis Center and Darren L. Linvill, a professor and director of the Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University, indicated that the fabrication involved Mr. Combs, known as Diddy or Puff Daddy, and it initially emerged from a fake American news outlet, Patriot Voice, which is associated with Russian disinformation efforts.

Mr. Linvill stated that the videos were the result of a Russian operation referred to by researchers as Storm-1516, a group known for disseminating various videos aimed at creating distrust in the electoral process. One video made earlier this year, for instance, inaccurately claimed that the C.I.A. had established a troll farm in Ukraine to support President Biden and the Democratic Party.

“The production quality and style of these videos align perfectly with what we've observed previously from them,”

Mr. Linvill noted regarding the latest videos. Mr. Raffensperger mentioned that he had requested Mr. Musk, the proprietor of X, to take down the erroneous video pertaining to Georgia from the social media site.

That particular post is no longer accessible. However, the other post from Alpha Fox, which has garnered 2.5 million views, remains active, along with a thread that features the video. In this thread, an individual with a blurred face and altered voice sits in a car discussing the unfounded allegations.

As this year’s election approaches its end, officials are striving to swiftly eliminate clearly false narratives, although those concerning election fraud or irregularities frequently gain viral traction.

Last week, a Russian disinformation group produced and circulated a video falsely implying that ballots in Bucks County, Pa., had been destroyed.

Local election authorities promptly labeled it as fake, while federal intelligence officials attributed it to Russian operatives.

False allegations regarding voting irregularities have proven to be more difficult to disseminate, partly because they are simpler to refute than vague claims about a candidate's history. As highlighted by the Bucks County video, Russian disinformation groups have started to adapt their messaging to focus on election processes.

The government announcement on Friday indicated that the videos are elements of “Moscow’s larger strategy to raise baseless concerns about the integrity of the U.S.

election and to further create divisions among Americans.” Intelligence officials have noted that Russia has a preference for former President Donald J. Trump.

His doubts about providing military aid to Ukraine, which Russia invaded almost three years ago, along with his commitment to push for peace talks, have heightened the stakes in the election from Russia's perspective, according to officials.

Despite the two notable instances of Russian efforts to weaken confidence in the electoral process, Clint Watts, who leads the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, remarked that there appears to be overall less disinformation targeting voting irregularities at this moment compared to previous election cycles.

This may indicate a strategy based on the belief that Mr. Trump could secure a victory, and that highlighting irregularities could obscure such an outcome.

“They don’t want to compromise an election in which they might achieve the outcome they desire,” Mr. Watts remarked. “Perhaps this time, they are exercising a bit more caution.” 

The newest compilation of videos indicates that this trend may be increasing. 

NewsGuard, a firm that monitors misinformation, also revealed on Friday several posts on Telegram, YouTube, and X that alleged individuals using voting machines in Kentucky were unable to cast their votes for Mr. Trump. These misrepresentations appear to have originated from a misleading report about a woman experiencing difficulties with a touch-screen device. 

Microsoft anticipates that Russian disinformation groups will act swiftly to generate more material should the election be challenged. U.S. intelligence agencies have also forecasted that Russia and Iran might try to incite protests and even unrest following the election if Mr. Trump loses, or if the results are very close. 

Russia could diminish public confidence in the election by fabricating false claims or by amplifying existing concerns among Americans about possible voting irregularities. 

In recent months, intelligence officials have also indicated that Iran has attempted to interfere, showing a preference for Ms. Harris while generally aiming to sow political disagreements and unrest. Iranian-affiliated hackers obtained information from the Trump campaign and attempted to disseminate it. U.S. intelligence agencies monitored a possible Iranian scheme to assassinate Mr. Trump. 

Ms. Harris has vocally condemned Iran, identifying it as a primary threat to the United States. Moreover, the Biden administration has cautioned Iran that any plan to harm Mr. Trump or make an attempt on his life would be regarded as an act of war.

“If Iran is uncertain about what either candidate offers, then why support either one, as it places them in a difficult position following the election,” Mr. Watts remarked. “I doubt they believe they will achieve their desired outcome from it.” 

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