Terror groups trying to recruit Israeli citizens on Facebook

Shin Bet warns of suspected kidnapping attempts arranged through site; terrorists also trying to gather info from sites used by elite IDF soldiers.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
Hamas heads 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Hamas heads 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Terror groups are turning to Israeli citizens on Facebook and other social networking sites and offering bribes in exchange for information, the Shin Bet [Israel Security Agency] said on Monday afternoon in a warning issued to the public. The Shin Bet warned of the dangers of divulging classified information, as well as the temptation to arrange meetings abroad to collect promised payments, which it said posed kidnapping risks. The Shin Bet added that recently, an Israeli citizen recounted an incident in which he said a man who identified himself as a Lebanese operative contacted him on Facebook and asked him to divulge classified information. Other such cases have been documented. In light of this phenomenon, the Shin Bet is asking citizens to refrain from publishing private information such as addresses and phone numbers, and to stay vigilant and suspicious of unsolicited propositions, especially of the kind promising high-paying employment abroad. The Shin Bet further added that terrorists were also tracking Web sites and forums visited by IDF soldiers and reservists from elite units, in order to gather information on security apparatuses and army bases.