The Shin Bet security agency announced Monday that it uncovered an Iranian operation that tried to recruit Israeli civilians to collect information on targets in Israel.
The alleged Iranian operators used a fake Facebook profile under the name “Sara Puppi,” who was presented as a young Jewish woman with connections and business in Israel, according to the agency.
The profile had thousands of friends, mostly Israelis. After a connection was established, conversations would continue over WhatsApp, the Shin Bet said.
According to the Shin Bet, Puppi asked Shin Bet officers pretending to be dupes to locate information about Israelis who were of interest to Iranian intelligence, as well as Arab diplomats and businessmen in Israel, in return for thousands of dollars in payment. Additionally, the operatives “examined the willingness” of the Israelis to harm the targets, the Shin Bet said.
The agency said the operators of the profile also used emotional and romantic manipulation to get the information they were seeking.
In addition, the Iranian operators asked Israelis to place an “inciting” banner on billboards against Russian President Vladimir Putin, “with the aim of harming Israel-Russia relations,” the Shin Bet said.
“The Iranian operator behind the Facebook profile used a business cover story to assign various tasks, such as a request for revenge against those who owe him money, a desire to harm personal opponents, and even a desire to harm LGBT individuals in general,” the Shin Bet said.
The agency said it had been monitoring the alleged Iranian operation from the start.
