Navigating the Challenges of Impersonation in Investigative Journalism

Receiving a call from a Canadian military official, I was startled to learn someone was impersonating me, an investigative reporter at ProPublica, on WhatsApp. This impostor used my name and photo to solicit information, raising questions about their intentions. The official promised to confirm his identity via email and shared screenshots of the fake conversation, revealing a Miami number and my ProPublica headshot. This wasn't an isolated incident. A Latvian businessman involved with the Ukrainian military also contacted me, suspecting he had been communicating with a fake version of me on Signal. The impostor, interested in UAVs, attempted to trick him into a phishing scheme.

These impersonations complicate the already challenging field of investigative journalism, where public trust is fragile and journalists face attacks from powerful entities. Such scams, evolving with technology, pose risks not only for financial gain but also for stealing sensitive information. Notable phishing attacks, like the one on John Podesta during Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, highlight the potential consequences.

Despite reporting the fake accounts to WhatsApp, little could be done. Signal's privacy-focused design makes it difficult to track impostors, as it stores minimal user data. Cooper Quintin from the Electronic Frontier Foundation noted an increase in scams on Signal, though the platform is implementing measures to curb them without compromising privacy.

Verification systems like those on Facebook aren't feasible for Signal due to its small nonprofit structure and privacy commitments. While WhatsApp claims to take action against scammers, the specifics remain unclear. To combat impersonation, journalists should be transparent about their contact information, as ProPublica reporters do on their bio pages.

Impersonation scams aren't unique to ProPublica. Other media outlets, including The New York Times and Reuters, have faced similar issues. More sophisticated campaigns, potentially state-sponsored, have targeted journalists and officials in Europe and the U.S., with Russian intelligence posing as Signal's security department to hijack accounts.

These threats underscore the importance of maintaining trust with sources. As a journalist, protecting sources is paramount, and impersonation undermines this trust. Publicly addressing these scams is crucial to alert potential sources and the public, ensuring they remain vigilant against such deceptions.