MILWAUKEE — Aari Robertson was lying in bed Wednesday night when they received a text message from an unknown number that caused panic.
The message read that Robertson had been "selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation" and that a van would pick them up the following week.
“I’m really disgusted by it. I don’t know if it’s a joke or if someone’s going to show up at my house,” Robertson said.
The message also mentioned a specific time and date: “Be ready at 6:15 a.m. November 14th sharp,” but Robertson couldn’t continue reading. “Sorry, that’s all I’m going to get into. I’m going to start crying,” they said.
Robertson’s experience is not isolated.
Nearly identical messages have been sent to Black Americans in more than 10 states following the election, according to Scripps News.
Some recipients reported that the messages included details about their locations and personal information. For Robertson, that included their nickname and a nearby address.
Watch: Milwaukee resident disgusted after receiving racist text; National authorities investigate.
Experts tell Scripps News the messages point to suspected data breaches involving sensitive data.
Robertson said they went to Milwaukee police and made a report with the FBI.
The FBI said in a statement that they are "aware of the offensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and are in contact with the Justice Department.”
Some of the messages, like Robertson's, mentioned the incoming Trump administration. A spokesperson for the Trump campaign told Scripps News it had “absolutely nothing to do” with the texts.
“I just feel paranoid and scared,” Robertson said. “It was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.”
In the wake of the threatening message, Robertson has avoided staying at home alone. They reported the incident to Milwaukee police, who advised them to contact officers if anything suspicious occurred.
In response to the growing concern over the texts, the NAACP Milwaukee Branch president said he would meet with Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman and other leaders later this week to discuss the gravity of the situation and determine the next steps.
Authorities are urging anyone who receives these texts to report them.
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