Thousands of Israelis received a suspicious text message on their mobile phones on Thursday, apparently originating from Iran, inviting them to cooperate with Iranian intelligence agencies.
The message, written in English, read: "Iranian intelligence agencies are ready to receive your intelligence cooperation. To cooperate, contact one of the Iranian embassies via the internet."
Israel's National Cyber Directorate said it was aware of the message and issued clear instructions to the public.
What should you do?
Ignore the message completely. Do not respond and do not attempt to contact the sender. Block the sending number, mark it as spam, and do not forward the message, in order to prevent unnecessary dissemination.
Against the backdrop of more than 30 espionage-related cases exposed by the Shin Bet security agency over the past two and a half years, Israeli security officials say Iran has been carrying out widespread "spray and pray" recruitment efforts online. These attempts target normative citizens and span a broad range of sectors across Israeli society.
Investigations and indictments show that the overwhelming majority of Israelis involved were aware they were cooperating with Iran. In many cases, the initial approach was made directly through social media platforms, with messages such as: "Hello, this is Iranian intelligence. You can help us and we will help you in return for money."
According to the indictments, Israelis who established contact with Iranian handlers often began with tasks they perceived as harmless, such as photographing streets, signs or vandalizing vehicles. Over time, however, they were directed to carry out serious security-related missions. These included photographing the streets near the homes of public figures, reaching hospitals where prominent individuals were being treated, and even attempts to obtain weapons.
Israeli security officials stress that raising public awareness of the consequences of cooperating with Iranian elements, and the severe harm such ties pose to national security, is essential. The goal, they say, is to ensure that Israelis who receive suspicious approaches online or from Iranian sources understand the gravity of their actions and the seriousness of such contact with an enemy state.
Ongoing dialogue is being held with local authorities to strengthen public awareness and resilience in light of the many cases uncovered. Several months ago, Israel's National Public Diplomacy Directorate launched a broad public campaign highlighting the dangers and consequences of establishing contact with hostile Iranian elements.
Iranian espionage by the numbers
The Shin Bet has reported a 200% increase from 2024 to 2025 in counter espionage prevention activity carried out by its counterterrorism and counterintelligence division. This has involved dozens of cases, including warning calls, arrests and interrogations.
There has also been a rise of more than 30% in the number of arrests and investigations related to Iranian espionage between 2024 and 2025.
