- A voice claiming to be “President Biden” called people to say the New Hampshire primary was “a bunch of malarkey”.
- The Federal Communications Commission said a telecoms company was behind the activity, and had been conducting illegal phone calls for years.
Have you ever received a phone call from the president of United States? In recent weeks, many people have.
Someone claiming to be “President Biden” called people to say the New Hampshire primary was “a bunch of malarkey” and told people to “save your vote for the November election.” If you’re curious, here’s a recording of the call (courtesy of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office):
A fake phone call
In January, voters in New Hampshire received phone calls purportedly from President Biden telling them not to vote in the primary. After a brief but intense investigation, the perpetrator was revealed to be a Texas-based company that had previously been caught spreading false information.
The New Hampshire Attorney General became aware of the calls in mid-January and began an investigation into the voter suppression attempt.
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It may not be a first offense
Investigators traced the calls to a suspicious telecommunications provider called Lingo. The Federal Communications Commission said the company had been engaging in illegal phone calls for years. However, Lingo claims it was simply transmitting calls on behalf of the Life Corporation, which itself was cited in 2003 for “sending clearly illegal pre-recorded and unsolicited advertisements to residential lines.”
Both Life Corporation and Lingo were ordered to stop by New Hampshire authorities and the Federal Communications Commission, respectively.
