With conditions worsening in their own countries, people have been trying to seek a better life in the United States illegally. Many of these migrants risk extreme heat, long walks, and gang violence just to get to live in the U.S. However, many of them have been fed false information by smugglers on social media, particularly on Facebook and WhatsApp.

The Texas Truck Migrant tragedy, where over 50 migrants died of heat and exhaustion after their driver abandoned them, highlighted the misinformation fed to these migrants. The Internet watchdog group, the Tech Transparency Project, recently released a report which found that while they are aware of the risks and potential deceptions by smugglers, many of them still get their information about getting smuggled into the United States via social media.

They have also found that the misinformation these smugglers often post leads many potential migrants to think that crossing over to the United States is actually easier than it is in reality.

Smugglers Outright Lie in Social Media Posts, Many Potential Migrants Buy These Lies

Katie Paul, director of the Tech Transparency Project, spoke to CNN about their findings. She stated that the volume of the information makes it difficult to know which is real or which is misinformation.

The report also stated that posts on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp have various claims that were untrue. Several posts claim that border authorities let pregnant women into the United States. These misrepresent several hard facts, such as the migrants still having to cross rivers and offer fake documents.

The online watchdog also conducted a survey among migrants. They found that many know the risk and that there is indeed misinformation. However, they also found that some of the false information about environmental conditions influenced the respondents' decision-making,

According to the former temporary head of the Department of Homeland Security's intelligence division John Cohen. smugglers often infiltrate online communities and provide information there. The information they spread within these communities is often false, as they show that there is an opportunity to enter the United States. In addition, Cohen stated that they will also organize large groups of migrants to travel to the U.S.-Mexico border en masse.

READ MORE: Mexico: 94 Migrants Who Almost Died Inside Truck Managed to Escape After Driver Abandoned Them

Misinformation Also Played Into the Texas Truck Migrant Tragedy

Two of the migrants who perished in the tragedy were Pablo Ortega and Julio Lopez. Both paid huge amounts of money to be able to be smuggled into the United States, with Ortega paying around $13,000 and Lopez paying around $12,000. This is part of an alleged "VIP Package" which promised that they won't have to go through the desert heat and there would not be any danger. The smugglers also told them that the journey would have been "100% safe."

On June 27, the truck the two migrants boarded was found in San Antonio, Texas. Both of them were among those who died due to the extreme heat. The promises of the smugglers about the trip being "100% safe" are now exposed as a lie, much like the misinformation regularly fed to migrants on social media.

READ MORE: Texas Truck Tragedy: VIP Trips Offered to Migrants on Smuggling Activity That Killed 53

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Migrants Are Falling Prey To Social Media Misinformation About U.S.-Mexico Border - NBC News