Coordinated Attack
Mass Espionage Attempt: Iran Tries to Recruit Hundreds of Israelis with Phone Calls Targeting Civilians
Hundreds of Israeli citizens reported receiving suspicious calls in broken Hebrew this weekend, prompting police and the National Cyber Directorate to issue an urgent warning that Iranian intelligence elements are attempting to recruit agents for collection and terror activity. Authorities confirmed the calls are part of a coordinated campaign and advised the public to hang up immediately.
Israeli authorities have confirmed a mass, coordinated campaign targeting Israeli citizens via phone calls in which alleged Iranian intelligence operatives attempted to recruit them as agents. The Israel Police and the National Cyber Directorate have received hundreds of reports about the suspicious calls that occurred on Saturday morning.
The calls, originating from unfamiliar phone numbers, featured pre-recorded messages in noticeably broken Hebrew, reportedly stating: “Iranian intelligence is looking for qualified agents.”
The Israel Police updated that “Hundreds of citizens reported to the 100 hotline about phone calls they received from a number unknown to them and with which a person spoke, who offered to enlist to an Iranian organization.” The police statement clarified the hostile intent: “These are calls intended to cause public alarm during wartime and attempts by Iranian intelligence elements to recruit Israeli citizens at home and abroad to advance intelligence collection and terrorist activity in Israel.”
The National Cyber Directorate described the incident as a coordinated campaign intended for intimidation and attempted recruitment. The Directorate confirmed that the calls originated from phone numbers bearing the Israeli prefixes 03-6817*** and 03-3067***.
In response, the Directorate issued an urgent public advisory, urging people not to answer calls from these numbers. If a call is accidentally answered, the immediate recommendation is to hang up without delay and strictly avoid pressing any buttons on the phone keypad.
The agency also sought to calm public fears about device security, clarifying: "Simply answering the call does not harm your phone. The matter is under investigation and is being handled by the Directorate in coordination with the relevant security authorities."
The police are calling on the public to remain vigilant, to report any unusual events to the 100 hotline, and to refrain from any cooperation with the enemy. Israeli police and other security bodies affirmed they are actively addressing the incidents and will continue to work to locate and thwart intelligence and terror operations, both in Israel and abroad, and to bring all individuals involved to justice.