Operation Overload: A Growing Disinformation Threat Now Targeting the U.S. Presidential Election

As the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches, the ever-evolving disinformation campaign known as Operation Overload continues to expand in scope and sophistication. Its targeting of fact-checkers and newsroom via frequent email messages spreading propaganda narratives has dramatically increased over the summer.

New evidence: More Targets Discovered, Russia’s Involvement Confirmed

From January to September 2024, around 71,000 disinformation emails were sent to newsrooms and factcheckers. Check First gained access to a dataset showing that nearly 250 organisations worldwide have been receiving emails from the propagandists, which is more than twelve times more than we had first observed back in June. The frequency of emails raised significantly at the heart of the summer, as the Paris Olympics unfolded. Notably, the emergence of the “OLYMPICS HAS FALLEN” narrative, featuring AI-generated fake documentaries, highlights how the perpetrators tailor their content to high-profile events to maximize impact.

The newly obtained information also allows us to directly link the operation to Russia. We gained access to a new dataset, which we thoroughly cross-referenced with our internal intelligence, allowing us to confirm its accuracy. This information revealed the use of a Russian residential IP address to send emails associated with the operation.

A New Focus: Kamala Harris and U.S. Elections

As the U.S. election nears, Operation Overload has shifted its attention to the political stage. Since mid-August, more false narrative seem to be destined to an U.S. audience. Some have taken aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, such as one sent on September 4, 2024, accusing her of having a low IQ. 

Amaury, CTO of CheckFirst, emphasizes the seriousness of this development:

“This activity update clearly demonstrates that the operatives were not discouraged after having been exposed by our first, widely distributed report. On the contrary, Operation Overload is still going strong and now targets the U.S., which calls for fact-checkers and newsrooms to pay extra attention in these critical times.”

Evolution in Tactics: Fake TikToks and AI-Generated Content

One of the most alarming aspects of Operation Overload is the steady evolution of its tactics. Our monitoring reveals that Russian-language Telegram channels involved in the campaign have begun distributing fake TikTok videos, mimicking the style and tone of reputable media outlets.

Another strategy involves producing fake covers of respected newspapers and magazines, presenting fabricated articles that appear to come from well-known publishers. These manipulations are increasingly sophisticated, and they continue to use QR codes to drive engagement and further disseminate false information.

Aleksandra Atanasova from Reset Tech elaborates:

“Content amalgamation, or the blending of different content formats to create multi-layered stories, remains a key tactic of the campaign. In the summer phase of Overload, the actors introduced new content formats. The fake TikTok videos and fake magazine/newspaper covers branded with the logos of social platforms and media outlets were added to the mix to boost the believability of the narratives.”

For further insights, you can read our Operation Overload update here or access our original report here.