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Iran

Flowers and Photographing Houses: Iran's Plan to Control Israelis

The Shin Bet recently revealed a network to recruit and handle Israeli citizens by Iranian security forces, with the goal of carrying out missions in Israel. It has been disclosed that these missions involve photographing residential addresses of security forces members who appear frequently in the media and speak out against Iran.

The Iranian security agencies have also been making manipulative use of online platforms and promoting activities against the families of hostages - including gathering crowds near the families’ homes and sending flowers. All these are done with the use of fictitious online platforms.

As part of the protests for the return of the hostages, the Iranian security forces are promoting the hanging of signs drafted by the Iranians, photographing demonstrators, filling out “surveys” and more on these platforms. To fill out the “surveys”, people must fill out personal information forms and detail their qualifications leading to fake links, all to collect information about Israeli citizens and use them to implement security tasks.

1. Tears of war – promotes extortion and extremism to regularly recruit Israelis to carry out tasks related to the hostages, publishing “job offers” on casual job search websites and groups. Fictitious profiles addressed to Israelis from this platform are “Deborah”, “Noa” and “Tamir”, online profiles that have long been suspected by alert Israeli citizens and warnings have been published about them.

2. A Telegram channel called “BringHomeNow” embeds itself in authentic online activity under similar names and hashtags. Its main purpose is to collect details of Israelis through a referral to a “volunteer” form where users fill in personal details.

3. “Kan +” - a platform pretending to be engaged in research and surveys, using almost the same graphic features of “Kan 11.” Its purpose is to “phish” for details of Israelis who apply and respond to these surveys.

4. “Fist” and “hasrotonim” appear online as accounts based in Iran alongside platforms. “Israel the Second” and “The Avengers” - other platforms that have been reported as fake, hostile, and are suspected of being Iranian - all four impersonate interactions from different political parties to flare up political discourse and deepen the divide in Israel. (INN / VFI News)

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8