An Israeli blogger contacted via Instagram by Iranian intelligence agents who tried to lure him to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday cautiously insisted on talking to foreigners online, days after the Israeli intelligence agencies were revealed.
The Iranian intelligence agencies would set up fake Instagram profiles, usually women in the tourism industry, and use it to contact Israelites. The Shin Bet security service and the Mossad intelligence agency said in a joint statement on Monday that they were trying to lure Israelis to meetings abroad with business proposals or offers of romantic gatherings with the aim of kidnapping or otherwise harming them. .
One of the Israelites contacted was travel photographer and blogger Matan Hirsch, who runs an Instagram page titled ‘The Traveling Israeli’.
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“A profile named Mary Vidal contacted me,” he told The Times of Israel on Wednesday. ‘I answered one or two of her messages. I saw something strange in her profile. There were only four photos that all had to do with Israel. ‘
A conversation between travel blogger and photographer Matan Hirsch and a fake Iranian Instagram profile. (With permission)
The person behind the profile tried to lure him to Dubai to meet her and ‘even sent me a Happy New Year message at the end of the year.’
Hirsch blocked the profile this week after the Iranian attempt to harm Israelis was made public by the security agencies.
Hirsch said he never intended to travel to Dubai because he suspected the profile was false. But he did not expect the true managers of the profile to be as sinister as the Iranian intelligence.
He said that as a travel blogger he regularly chats with many people from around the world, but would only accept such an invitation after having a real connection and verifying the person’s identity – by asking for a selfie picture, for example .
He encouraged people to take steps to ensure the authenticity of the profiles that make contact with them online.
A conversation between Travel blogger and photographer Matan Hirsch and a fake Iranian Instagram profile. (With permission)
According to Channel 13 news, another Israeli man had already boarded a plane to meet a woman he encountered on Instagram when Israeli security officials reached out to him at the last minute and prevented the meeting from taking place.
Authorities also urged Israeli citizens living abroad to be vigilant and not meet people or talk online with people they do not know.
“Security officials are appealing to Israeli citizens who are conducting business abroad, to be aware and vigilant about inquiries on social networks from profiles they do not recognize, and to avoid contact with them,” Shin Bet and Mossad said. said.
The countries mentioned by the agencies include Arab countries, Turkey, the Gulf states and countries in the Caucasus, Africa and Europe.
The Shin Bet and Mossad also said there was a “real concern” that the Iranian intelligence effort could lead to attempts to hurt or kidnap Israeli citizens abroad.
The GSS and the Mossad reveal: This is how Iranian intelligence officials try to “attract” Israelis on social media to hollow meetings abroad to bring about their abduction@ ela1949 (Photo: GSS Spokeswoman) pic.twitter.com/Hn3PD2YNaL
– News here (@kann_news) 12 April 2021
Last month, with international travel beginning to pick up again amid Israel’s rapid vaccination operation, the National Security Council issued a travel advice warning Iran could attack Israelis abroad.
Examples of fictitious profiles used by Iranian entrepreneurs to attract Israelis (thanks to ISA).
The warning from the intelligence agencies follows an apparent act of sabotage on Sunday at Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment site. The incident, which allegedly caused great damage to the plant, came when the Biden government wanted to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal limiting Iran’s nuclear program, and Israel opposed a US return to the original agreement.
It also came when Israel and Iran were engaged in a maritime shadow war, and both sides blamed the other for explosions on vessels.
