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Guard against Project Veritas operatives trying to infiltrate your organization by checking their real identity with Google facial recognition software.

'Project Veritas sting operations employ people who mask their real identities to infiltrate target organizations.' (NYT). Check to see if you're being targeted with free Google facial recognition.

Project Veritas trains operatives on how to pretend to be volunteers, donors and patients. They record videos that can be edited for disinformation campaigns and damage unsuspecting nonprofits.

Check the identity of who you're speaking with free Google Image software that can identify faces. Check on the Project Veritas Exposed website for details on their background.

Use Google Image search to spot Project Veritas agents and learn more about them on Project Veritas Exposed from The UnderCurrent.

Facial recognition software

Facial recognition software reads the geometry of a face. The software identifies facial landmarks key to distinguishing your face such as the distance between your eyes and the distance from forehead to chin. This information is converted to a facial signature or formula which is used to search against similar photos. The formula still works even with changes in hair color, glasses or a beard. Google Image Search uses a similar approach to find photos of faces that match the one you uploaded. - Norton

In this example, we uploaded the picture of a face into Google Images. It found websites which feature that image including Project Veritas Exposed which provides more details on the individual identified.

Project Veritas

The F.B.I. last week searched the homes of Mr. O’Keefe and two former Project Veritas operatives — Eric Cochran and Spencer Meads — as part of the investigation into the reported theft of Ms. Biden’s diary... Mr. O’Keefe’s operatives use fake identities and secret recordings to ensnare unsuspecting targets. In the legal documents, Mr. Barr repeatedly refers to Project Veritas employees as “operatives” or “agents,” as well as “journalists.” - NYT

'Mr. O’Keefe and Project Veritas have a long history of releasing manipulated or selectively edited footage purporting to show illegal conduct by Democrats and liberal groups.' - NYT

'Mr. Prince, the founder of Blackwater Worldwide and the brother of former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, has in recent years helped recruit American and British former spies for Project Veritas’s intelligence-gathering operations. Beginning in 2016, Mr. Prince contacted several former intelligence officials — including Mr. Seddon — and pitched them on teaching Project Veritas employees how to operate like spies.' - NYT

Project Veritas Exposed

Project Veritas Exposed is a research resource for individuals and organizational targets of Project Veritas, lawyers representing the victims, and the media. It is a project of The Undercurrent and produced by Lauren Windsor and sponsored by American Family Voices. "In 2016, Project Veritas operatives infiltrated Democracy Partners, an affiliated organization with which we share an office. In the aftermath, we launched an investigation into what happened in order to preserve evidence for litigation and to prevent others in the progressive movement from falling prey to Veritas schemes", explains Windsor.

Guard against 'Social Engineering' hacks

"Social engineering is a critical threat. Everyone in your organization should know how to spot the most common social engineering tactics, and they should understand the psychological triggers that scammers use to take advantage of people. Be suspicious of any unsolicited communication, especially from someone they don’t know. Verify someone’s identity through an alternate contact method before providing any sensitive information." - Copado

Honey Trap - The perpetrator pretends to be romantically or sexually interested in the victim. The attacker then persuades the victim to reveal confidential information. Project Veritas operatives have been reported to make initial contact through dating apps.

Pretexting - The scammer creates a pretext or fabricated scenario—pretending to be an IRS auditor, for example—to con someone into providing sensitive personal or financial information. In this type of attack, someone can also physically acquire access to your data by pretending to be a vendor, delivery driver, or contractor to gain your staff’s trust. Project Veritas operatives have posed as potential donors to collect information from progressive groups.

TakeAway: Guard against agents posing as volunteers and donors by checking their identity with free Google facial recognition software.

Deepak
DemLabs

Image credit: National Archives

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DemLabs applies innovative technology and storytelling tools in service of democratic values. It lowers the barrier of funding for worthy candidates and non-profits by applying existing free/affordable solutions.