Iranian proxies attempted to lure an Israeli businessman to Dubai under the pretext of an interview, the Israeli National Security Council revealed on Tuesday, warning citizens to be on high alert for such attempts.
In a statement, the NSC warned that Iranian elements are targeting Israelis online and trying to convince them to attend meetings abroad at which they will be targeted.
Recently, the NSC said, an Israeli businessman was contacted on Telegram by someone posing as an employee of the Persian-language version of the Al Arabiya news outlet. The Israeli man received a request to fly to Dubai for a meeting in order to take part in an interview about "the Iranian regime."
Becoming suspicious, the businessman alerted the NSC, which discovered that the contact had infected his cellphone with malware to hack into his phone.
The NSC warned Israelis against sharing information with unknown contacts online and not disclosing personal details or travel plans with any potential business or academic partners without verifying their identities. Israelis were urged to be vigilant and to contact the Foreign Ministry or NSC about any suspicious activity.
In November, an Israeli-Moldovan Chabad emissary based in the United Arab Emirates — Rabbi Zvi Kogan — was kidnapped and murdered by three Uzbeki citizens who Israel believes were recruited by Iran.
Last month, Iranian-Israeli journalist Babak Itzhaki said he was the target of a plot by Iranian paramilitary forces to lure him to
...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire...and then smuggle him into Iran.
In recent months, Israel has also uncovered a significant number of plots of Iranian proxies recruiting Israelis online to carry out espionage against Israeli figures and facilities.
Since September 2024, Israeli authorities have announced arrests in many cases involving individuals or cells suspected of spying or plotting attacks on behalf of Iran. In some, Tehran tried to trick Israelis online into carrying out missions on its behalf. In other cases, individuals are alleged to have knowingly operated on Tehran’s behalf for money.
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Zvi Kogan 12/01/2024 Report: Killers of UAE Chabad rabbi were planning to take him to Oman
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Zvi Kogan 11/28/2024 Iran to expel 2.5 million undocumented Afghan migrants by year-end