Daijiworld Media Network – Chicago
Chicago, Sep 20: The FBI's Chicago field office warned law enforcement agencies in February about a small group of women allegedly creating fake online dating profiles to lure and publicly expose immigration officers.
According to an FBI memo circulated to law enforcement agencies, the profiles used imagery associated with a “traditional wife” aesthetic and listed specific interests intended to appeal to law enforcement personnel.
The memo said the alleged objective was to lure immigration officers into online or in-person interactions under the guise of dates and subsequently expose and dox them online. The tactic was reportedly intended to cause public embarrassment and deter immigration enforcement activities.
NBC News obtained the memo from Property of the People, a nonprofit focused on government transparency, which received it through a state open records request. The Guardian first reported on the document.
The FBI confirmed the authenticity of the memo but declined to comment on the specific intelligence product. The agency said it regularly shares information with law enforcement partners to help protect both communities and officers and remains committed to ensuring the safety of law enforcement personnel while they perform their duties.
The memo did not specify where the dating profiles were created or provide examples of their content.
The warning came amid a major federal immigration enforcement deployment in the Twin Cities, known as “Operation Metro Surge.” The operation was later scaled back following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were protesting immigration enforcement in Minneapolis in January.
The immigration enforcement crackdown and the shootings triggered protests across the United States and intensified scrutiny of federal law enforcement agencies.
The alleged fake dating profiles in Chicago were created several months after an immigration enforcement operation there known as “Operation Midway Blitz.”