Israel’s Mossad and Shin Bet agencies said Monday afternoon that the Iranian military is working to lure Israelis abroad, with the intention of ambushing or kidnapping them.
According to the two Israeli security agencies, Iranian intelligence units are using an adaptation of the ‘honey trap’ technique to lure Israeli citizens overseas.
In this case, Iranian teams looking to harm or kidnap Israeli nationals use fictitious social media accounts on outlets such as Instagram, posing as young women who work in the travel or tourism industries.
The Iranian teams use the fake accounts to make contact with Israelis and eventually to lure them into either business meetings or romantic encounters abroad.
The Shin Bet and Mossad said that such efforts were being conducted not only directly from Iran, but also from other countries including a number of Arab states, Turkey, Caucasus states, several African states, and a number of European countries.
This tactic, the Israeli intelligence agencies said, has been used by Iranian forces in the past, including against critics of the Islamic regime within Iran.
Now, Iran’s focus has shifted towards Israeli citizens, in particular businessmen who often travel abroad in connection with their work.