Neo-Nazi plot to impersonate Jews on social media to spread antisemitism uncovered

Neo-Nazis have been creating fake social media accounts to impersonate Jewish people in an attempt to spread antisemitic conspiracy theories, it has been revealed.

The idea, formulated on the 4chan website, called for a “massive movement of fake Jewish profiles on Facebook and Twitter”.

The proliferation of fake accounts was first publicised by Twitter user Solomon Atlee.

A post on 4chan was subsequently identified as the reason behind the sudden appearance of Twitter fakes. The 4chan post listed the benefits of Neo-Nazis creating spurious accounts posing as Jews, saying, among other things, that "you can take the blame for world events”, as well as suggesting that such accounts could post “facts” about “fellow Jews” concerning their supposed control of the slave trade, finance, mass media and the porn industry.

“Being a Jew, you are able to subvert Jews themselves”, the writer of the plan urged, promoting as a “benefit” that the creators of such fake accounts would be able to “label anyone an antisemite who disagrees with you…if you fellow Jew disagree, calls them Nazis, racists, bigots, xenophobes etc.”

After the 4chan post, “a network of new Twitter accounts run by white supremacists pretending to be Jews popped up”.

These accounts use Jewish-sounding names, such as “Goldenstein” or “Baumberger”, as well as stealing social media photos of real Jews to use as their profile pictures.

A Twitter spokesperson told JTA that it had "already permanently suspended several accounts", linked to the operation.

"When we find accounts in violation of our policies, we take action according to our rules,” the representative said.