The Shin Bet security service said on Monday that it had identified more than 200 Iranian phishing attempts against senior Israeli officials in a bid to secure their personal details.
Among those targeted were senior security officials, political figures, academics, media personnel, journalists, and others, the Shin Bet said.
The hackers approached Israelis via WhatsApp, Telegram and email, and tried to get them to download an app that would grant access to their devices and share their personal details such as home addresses and frequent locations.
The agency said that the information would then be used by Iran to carry out attacks against individuals in Israel, “through Israeli cells they have recruited within the country.”
The Shin Bet said the targets were approached with an “individually tailored cover story for each victim according to their area of work, so the approach doesn’t seem suspicious.”
In one example shown by the Shin Bet, the hacker posed as Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs and told the target he was trying to coordinate a meeting with him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Shin Bet said that it had identified and briefed those targeted by the campaign.
A Shin Bet official stated that “This is another significant threat in the campaign Iran is waging against Israel, aimed at carrying out assassination attacks. We request heightened awareness, as cyberattacks of this type can be avoided before they happen through awareness, caution, suspicion, and proper preventative behavior online.”
The agency added that along with Israel’s security agencies, the Shin Bet “will continue to act to identify Iranian activity and thwart it in advance.”
The Shin Bet in recent months has announced a series of alleged Iranian plots, in which Tehran recruited Israelis into carrying out missions.
In September, seven Jewish Israelis were arrested on suspicion of spying on security figures and IDF bases for Iran.
They were accused of collecting information for their Iranian contacts about several Israeli citizens, including a senior security figure — whom authorities have not publicly identified — and may have been part of a plot to ultimately assassinate the figure.
The suspects allegedly followed this figure, including taking pictures at his door, and also surveilled his children.
Also in September, a man from the southern city of Ashkelon was arrested on allegations that he was smuggled into Iran twice, received payment to carry out missions on behalf of Tehran, and was recruited to assassinate either Israel’s prime minister, defense minister, or the head of the Shin Bet.
Then, on October 14, a man and his 18-year-old partner, both from Ramat Gan, were arrested on charges they carried out various acts of sabotage and vandalism on behalf of an Iranian agent.
On October 16, the Israel Police and State Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of a man from central Israel, who allegedly acquired a weapon in order to kill an Israeli scientist on instructions from an Iranian agent, after performing several smaller tasks on the agent’s behalf.
On October 31, prosecutors indicted a couple from Lod and a man from Bnei Brak on charges that they gathered intelligence on senior academics and a nuclear scientist, in what they said was part of an Iranian assassination plot.
Those recent cases came after authorities in January uncovered a scheme involving Israelis who were allegedly recruited to gather intelligence on high-profile figures.
Source » timesofisrael