South Florida man receives threatening email as early voting begins in Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida man is speaking out after he received a threatening email directing people to vote for President Donald Trump in this year’s election or face consequences.

Mark, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he received the threatening email on Tuesday.

“At 3:14 p.m., I received an email that included my first and last name and an old address, and it said ‘We are in possession of all your information,'” Mark said. “It makes a threat. ‘You will vote for Trump on Election Day or we will come after you. I would take this seriously if I were you,’ and it includes an old address of mine and says ‘Good luck.'”

The sender is listed as the far right extremist group Proud Boys with the address, info@officialproudboys.com.

Mark is not the only recipient of the email. Dozens of voters across Florida have reportedly received the exact same message.

However, a South Florida leader of the group said he condemns the emails. The leader said the group has nothing to do with the emails, and he has reached out to the Alachua County Supervisor of Elections Office in Gainesville. Many of the emails seem to have been sent to voters there.

A post on the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page said the emails appear to be a scam, and investigators are working with federal agents.

At least one media outlet is reporting the emails seem to have been generated overseas, and officialproudboys.com does not seem to be a real domain name.

Still, during such a contentious election year, Mark fears it will scare some voters away.

“I thought it was pretty concerning that they are sending these emails out,” he said. “I would definitely be really intimidated by this if I hadn’t voted yet, especially if this was a current address they were sending me. I think that they’re trying to manipulate the election, and I think that they have a chance of succeeding because they are including information that makes it a more credible threat with the address.”

A top official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Twitter, “These emails are meant to intimidate and undermine American voters’ confidence in our elections.”

Although Mark lives in South Florida, his old address is in Gainesville, where many of the emails were sent.

The Alachua County Supervisor of Elections said they are taking the emails very seriously, and they have reached out to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Officials said if people have received an email like the one Mark was sent, they should reach out to the supervisor of elections in their county, as well.

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