Iranian agents have made multiple covert attempts to recruit Israeli citizens to provide intelligence or otherwise harm the State of Israel in recent months, the Shin Bet intelligence agency announced today (Thursday).
The Iranians attempted to make contact with the Israelis by posting ads for various jobs on social media and job sites and through catfishing attempts. The ads were posted on Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (X), in multiple languages (among others - Hebrew, Arabic, and English).
The Iranians used cover stories such as being apartment brokers, courier services, private investigators, drone sales, requests for photo shoots, offers of online dating, and more.
The Shin Bet provided documentation of multiple examples, including an Iranian agent who offered $100 in exchange for photographs of places in Israel.
Many of the Israelis who received these messages were suspicious and refused to respond. Others reported them to the police and Shin Bet.
"This is a well-known MO of the Iranian security agencies as a platform for the random recruitment of Israeli citizens, in order to carry out what seem like innocent tasks, for which they have an intelligence motive through which they can act to promote plans to harm Israeli citizens," the Shin Bet explained.
“Since the beginning of the war, it is evident that the activities of the Iranian security forces have greatly intensified, making extensive use of the digital space for the purposes of fear, conveying messages or promoting disguised terrorist activity. Its purpose is to help Hamas in its war and to damage Israel's national resilience and war effort, sowing demoralization and creating social rifts," it added.
Among these efforts have been agents posing as Israelis in order to make manipulative use of the issue of the hostages who have been held in Gaza since October 7 to create divisions between the families of the hostages and the rest of Israel.
The Shin Bet identified many of these fake social media profiles and gathered a great deal of intelligence on the identities of those behind them, and has taken steps to end these operations.
The Shin Bet stated in a video message to the Iranian: "For a long time we have been closely following your empty efforts. We uncovered many of the targets and managed to thwart your plans. All your activities to Israeli citizens, Arabs and Jews, are under the strict control and supervision of the Shin Bet and will be immediately thwarted. We warn you, playing with fire has serious and dangerous consequences.”