Iran sent a wave of messages to Israeli cellphones overnight Monday, inviting recipients to cooperate on intelligence gathering and mark sensitive sites on an online map. Israel’s National Cyber Directorate said the messages, some of which appeared to come from groups like IntelOP and Apocalypse, were an attempt by Iran to “create panic” and influence Israelis.

The messages, written in Hebrew, included statements like “The Islamic Republic of Iran invites you to cooperate on intelligence” and “Build your future now.” Some implied impending Iranian missile strikes, saying Israelis will soon “see the sun in night skies.”

Police said they received many calls from concerned citizens and warned the public not to click any links, respond, or forward the messages. They characterized it as an effort by Iranian intelligence to recruit Israeli citizens at home and abroad to “advance intelligence gathering operations and terror.”

Some messages offered to “buy your video clips of Iran’s war against Israel.” According to internet security firm Check Point, clicking included links led to a map where users could mark sites in Israel. While Iran has made similar attempts to recruit Israelis online in the past, Check Point noted this campaign was unusually “clear and public.”

The Cyber Directorate emphasized that receiving a message does not mean a phone or account has been hacked. They advised blocking the sending contacts.

In recent years, scores of Israelis have been arrested for carrying out tasks for Iran-linked agents met online, usually starting with mundane requests like filming public locations before escalating. Authorities warned the dramatic messages aimed to make recipients “act out of fear” and were just Iran’s latest “familiar attempt to influence.”

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