Ukrainian law enforcers expose 2 bot farms operating over 7,000 fake Facebook accounts
IRYNA BALACHUK – SATURDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2022, 13:36
The Security Service of Ukraine has exposed and blocked another two bot farms, which operated around 7,000 fake Facebook accounts and shared harmful content via social media.
Source: Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast on Facebook; Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office on Facebook
Quote from the Security Service: "Cyber experts from the Security Service of Ukraine put another two bot farms out of action, in Kyiv Oblast and Odesa Oblast. The 7,000-strong ‘army of bots’ was used to share harmful content, [aiming] for example, to discredit the Ukrainian Defence Forces and the country’s leadership; to justify the military aggression perpetrated by the Russian Federation [in Ukraine] and to destabilise the social and political situation in the country."
Details: One of the bot farms (5,000 accounts strong) was created by a 24-year-old man from Zaporizhzhia Oblast who currently lives in Kyiv Oblast.
In order to conceal his activities, he registered the fake accounts using Russian email addresses and Russian and Belarusian mobile phone numbers. In some cases, he used forged documents of Ukrainian citizens to verify those accounts.
He leased or sold the bots to interested parties.
Public relations representatives of various political parties and Russian citizens who spread harmful and provocative content in Ukrainian informational space were among his clients.
During the search conducted in the bot farm operator’s home in the city of Bila Tserkva (Kyiv Oblast), law enforcement officers seized computer equipment that contained evidence of illegal activity, and the corresponding software.
A notice of suspicion is being prepared for the bot farm operator under Part 1 of Art. 361 (unauthorised interference with the operation of electronic communication networks) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Another bot farm was handled by four residents of Odesa Oblast. They created and promoted accounts on social media and messenger apps. They shared fake information and fake news – allegedly from the frontlines – in order to sow panic among residents of the region.
Computer equipment, four servers, over 250 USB modems and mobile phones containing evidence of illegal activity were seized during searches of the coordinators’ homes. Additionally, law enforcement officers found bank cards which were used to process payments from the bot farm’s "clients", and over 400 SIM cards.
After conducting the relevant investigations, the persons involved will be notified that they are under suspicion pursuant to Part 1 of Art. 111-1 (collaborating with the enemy) and Part 1 of Art. 361 (unauthorised interference with the operation of electronic communication networks) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Previously:
- On 2 August, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that a bot farm operated one million fake accounts in order to discredit President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and "destabilise the social and political situation" in Ukraine on the order of one of Ukraine’s political parties.
- On 28 August, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that another powerful bot farm was uncovered in Kyiv; Russian internet agents were using the bots to discredit Ukraine on the international arena.
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