Racist text messages are sent sent nationwidetargeting black Americans and telling them they had been selected to pick cotton.

On November 9, the Utica College Black Student Union posted one of these text messages to its Instagram account.

It reads: “Hello, You have been selected to pick cotton in the nearest plantation. Be ready at 6:00 p.m. EXACT with your belongings. Our executive slaves will pick you up in a brown van, prepare to be searched once you enter the plantation. You are in plantation group D.”

UUBSU responded loud and clear:

“As the Black Student Union, we want to make it clear: racism and hatred have no place in our university community. » UUBSU officials wrote on their Instagram. “The racist messages spreading across our country are a shame and we will not tolerate them. These harmful words and actions are a direct attack on our dignity and humanity, and we will continue to stand firm against them. It’s time to stand up, speak out and demand the change we deserve. We are stronger when we come together and we will never let hatred divide us.

University of Utica President Todd Pfannestiel also released a statement on the texts.

“Campus Security has learned that several of our students received a racist and hateful text message on Wednesday from anonymous senders using fraudulent “spoofed” phone numbers… Let me be clear: by targeting members of our community, this odious campaign of widespread hatred represents an attack. about our commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the University of Utica. We all know that our most effective response to hatred is our mutual respect. We reaffirm our spirit of unity in defiance of those who would seek to divide us.

Pfannestiel encouraged anyone targeted by these text messages on campus to report them to Campus Security and offered counseling services through the Student Wellness Center and the DEIB office.

“This is racism at its worst,” said Nana Watson, president of the Columbus, Ohio, NAACP. “I think it’s a hate crime, in my opinion.”

Racist text messages under FCC investigation

Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel issued a statement saying the texts were under investigation at the federal and state levels.

“We take this type of targeting very seriously,” she wrote.

In a tweet on its X account, the FBI said it “was aware of racist and offensive text messages sent to individuals across the country and was in contact with the Department of Justice and others federal agencies on this subject.

In response to the FBI tweet, Rep. Thomas Massie, Republican representing Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, responded on his X account: “You’re probably the one sending them. Pack your bags.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James confirmed that not only were New Yorkers targeted, but it was not just students.

“Racist text messages targeting New Yorkers, including middle school, high school and college students, are disgusting and unacceptable,” James said. “I unequivocally condemn any attempt to intimidate or threaten New Yorkers and their families. I encourage anyone in New York who has received an anonymous, threatening text message to report it to my office.

The Attorney General’s Office encourages anyone who has received a message like this to report it to the Attorney General’s Office for Civil Rights by calling 800-771-7755, emailing [email protected] .gov or file a complaint online.

Where do racist messages come from?

The University of Utica Black Student Union released not only the text message, but also the number it was sent from: 1-808-582-2707.

Perform a reverse number lookup said the number came from a mobile device with a phone carrier listed as “Onvoy Spectrum LLC.”

Searching for Onvoy Spectrum LLC through the Federal Communications Commission’s federal licensing system provided a contact number based in Chicago, Illinois.

GTCR LLC, a Chicago-based private equity firm, acquired Inteliquent, another communications network, and merged it with Onvoy before its acquisition by Sinch in 2021.

In 2022, Onvoy/Inteliquent/Sinch received a warning letter from the United States Federal Trade Commission for “…routing and transmitting illegal robocall traffic, directly or indirectly” for a number of entities, including for Social Security Administration impostors, a credit card interest rate reduction, auto warranty and utility disconnection.

The automated warranty call contains the now infamous “Hi. We have attempted to contact you regarding your vehicle’s extended warranty term.

The Better Business Bureau has rated Inteliquent as “non-BBB accredited” with a rating of 1.11 out of 5 stars.

Among the one-star reviews, many people complain about the constant calls and texts.

At their core, companies like Onvoy/Inteliquent/Sinch operate as voice over Internet protocol providers that allow people to send calls and text messages over the Internet. This service is rented to its customers and is operated by people carrying out robocalls or scams.

The Observer-Dispatch reached out and a customer service agent who identified herself as “Eveleyn” at Inteliquent confirmed that the number provided, the 2707 number that sent the text message, was on the Onvoy/Inteliquent/Sinch network.

Customer service nor the staff supervisor were able to provide additional information or connect to anyone who could. A contact number was left with a promise to call back.

The Columbus Dispatch contributed to this report.

This article was originally published on Observer-Dispatch: UU’s Black Student Union and others respond to racist texts