A network of pro-Kremlin accounts on X has been actively spreading fake Fox News articles ahead of Thursday’s presidential debate, with the aim of disseminating disinformation and influencing public opinion. This coordinated effort, exposed by @antibot4navalny, a group monitoring Russia-related influence operations, directed users to a counterfeit version of Fox News’ website. This deceptive website is part of a larger disinformation strategy known as the doppelgänger network, identified by E.U. researchers in 2022 for its mimicry of reputable news outlets such as Le Monde and The Washington Post.

Alethea, a company specializing in online risk research, previously identified 81 deceptive websites and over 5,000 X accounts linked to this disinformation campaign. The articles circulated on Thursday across these accounts, while individually crafted, shared consistent themes and were widely reposted. One fabricated headline, “Businesses Chooses Trump and a Great America,” falsely asserted broad support for Trump from Silicon Valley and other business circles.

This disinformation campaign signifies a sophisticated evolution in manipulation tactics, leveraging a fabricated news site that closely imitates credible sources. Links are disseminated through seemingly automated accounts to evade detection by platforms and researchers. Another misleading article, “Mission: Almost Impossible,” not only downplayed President Biden’s debate prospects but also promoted baseless conspiracy theories concerning Democrats and immigrants.

The use of a counterfeit Fox News website underscores how foreign influence operations have advanced their strategies, generating deceptive content that mirrors legitimate news down to the names of actual journalists. Despite this, a Fox News spokesperson has confirmed the falsehood of the story.

Furthermore, these X accounts demonstrate greater authenticity compared to earlier manipulation attempts, which often used poor English and repeated phrases across multiple accounts. Nonetheless, their objectives align with previous election cycles: fostering division within the U.S. by posing as conservative voters and amplifying fabricated narratives.

C. Shawn Eib of Alethea highlighted that while the doppelgänger network produces substantial content, it struggles to effectively engage genuine American audiences. Despite wide dissemination, these efforts have not gained significant traction among authentic U.S. users, indicating limited impact despite their prolific output.