‘Offensive, racist text messages’ hit Indiana

The seal of the U.S. Department of Justice is shown Aug. 1, 2023, at the Department of Justice in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Federal and local officials confirm racist text messages invoking slavery targeted some mobile phone customers in Indiana Thursday.

Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson confirmed in a statement Friday that people living in the Monroe County city had received the messages.

“In light of recent reports of hate speech, both nationally and within our community, the City of Bloomington unequivocally condemns all acts of hatred and hate speech,” Thomson said in a statement. “We stand firm in our commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all residents.”

The mayor’s office said the complaints came from both students and residents in Bloomington.

A spokesperson for Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said neither the city nor IMPD had not yet received official reports of the messages in Indianapolis.

A spokesperson for the FBI office in Indianapolis told News 8 that the agency had received complaints about the messages from Indiana residents, but could not provide specific cities connected to the complaints.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office called the the texts “troubling, but not surprising.”

“Like prior scams and robo texts, the Indiana Attorney General’s Office and the nationwide Robo Call Task Force will continue its important work to curb these actions, identify the bad actors, and pursue enforcement efforts,” a spokesperson for Rokita’s office told WISH-TV.

The anonymous messages were reported in several other states, including Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Alabama, California and New York.

Federal investigators believe the messages were sent to Black men, women and students around the country, including middle school students.

An Associated Press report said the messages generally used a similar tone but varied in wording.

Some instructed the recipient to show up at an address, labeling it a ‘plantation’, at a particular time “with your belongings,” while others didn’t include a location. Some of them mentioned the incoming presidential administration.

It wasn’t yet clear who was behind the messages and there was no comprehensive list of where they were sent, but high school and college students were among the recipients.

The FBI said it was in touch with the Justice Department on the messages, and the Federal Communications Commission said it was investigating the texts “alongside federal and state law enforcement.”

Nick Ludlum, a senior vice president for the wireless industry trade group CTIA, said: “Wireless providers are aware of these threatening spam messages and are aggressively working to block them and the numbers that they are coming from.”