Elections

Gmail Bot Marks Bernie’s Campaign Promises As Fraud. Literally.

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The Google Mail algorithm has determined emails from the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign are fraudulent because anything that promises so much free stuff must surely be a scam, according to reports Wednesday.

Gmail is one of the most widely used email services in the world. To protect its over 900 million users, it has advanced features to automatically sort out spam and those more insidious emails designed to scam unsuspecting victims. With his promises of lower prescription costs and free college, the email service determined some messages sent out by the Bernie campaign must be of the fraudulent variety.

“Be careful with this message. It contains content that’s typically used to steal personal information,” Gmail warned in email sent by the Bernie campaign, according to The Washington Times.

The email in question detailed an economic development plan by the Vermont Democratic-Socialist. A common type of scam known as phishing is exactly what the email service thought the Bernie campaign was trying to do. The scam involves acquiring personal information through what appears to be a trustworthy source.

Phishing scams can present themselves as websites, emails or many other forms of legitimate electronic communications. They often promise reward in exchange for passwords, bank account information and credit cards. Oftentimes the reward is some amazing offer, like free college, prompting users to supply personal info to collect.

“A regression in the spam filter’s machine learning framework was determined to be the root cause,” a Google representative told The Washington Times. “The issue affected only a very small percentage of the overall email received by Gmail and it has now been resolved.”

Other campaign emails have been able to get past the filter. The likely reason for some emails being marked as fraud is their wording. Nevertheless, Bernie has built his campaign on bold promises his opponents label as too good to be true.

“Making tuition free at public colleges and universities throughout America,” his campaign website noted. “Guaranteeing healthcare as a right of citizenship by enacting a Medicare for all single-payer healthcare system.”

He has also promised to enact a universal childcare program, expand Social Security and raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Critics warn, however, that his promises are just not realistic. The Mises Institute warned his ideas will likely undermine entrepreneurship and innovation needed to reverse bad economic trends and prompt a true financial recovery.

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