{"id":65846,"date":"2018-12-07T21:26:56","date_gmt":"2018-12-07T21:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/12\/07\/stolen-valor-meets-fake-news-facebook-trolls-targeting-vets\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:50:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:50:20","slug":"stolen-valor-meets-fake-news-facebook-trolls-targeting-vets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/veterans\/2018\/12\/07\/stolen-valor-meets-fake-news-facebook-trolls-targeting-vets\/","title":{"rendered":"Stolen valor meets fake news: Facebook trolls targeting vets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It started when Kristofer Goldsmith came across a Facebook page that looked a lot like his employer\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the fake Vietnam Veterans of America was posting bad information, putting new dates on old news stories and twisting facts in an apparent attempt to stir up fear among readers. That led Goldsmith to embark on a 15-month cyber investigation into social media trolls targeting the military community from Ukraine, Bulgaria, the Philippines and more than two-dozen other countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is something that is really dangerous, and the fake news that the White House needs to be concentrated on is the fake news that foreign entities are pushing into the veterans community to tear America apart,\u201d said Goldsmith, an Army veteran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He recently wrote about his findings for WIRED magazine<\/a>, articulating details about his \u201camateur investigation\u201d that has since led VVA to push the government and social media sites for help with this problem. Goldsmith points to a recent study by Oxford University<\/a>, which found that the public\u2019s general trust in service members and veterans make this group particular targets for online trolls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the misinformation could be harming veterans\u2019 health. For example, one post he saw made it look as though an old story about Congress considering cuts to disability benefits was about a new effort, even though it was published over the holiday season when Congress was out of session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re talking about agitating PTSD, giving people another reason to be anxious,\u201d Goldsmith said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019d like for the (Veterans Affairs Department) to start to educate veterans on cyber hygiene,” he said. “The VA provides information about health \u2026 We would like to see the VA engage in education campaigns that are similar to that, so basically preventative medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t