Social media accounts linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran and designed to undermine Israeli morale have resurfaced under new identities, according to FakeReporter, an Israeli online watchdog.

The group identified approximately 60 fake profiles, primarily on Facebook, responsible for generating over 18,000 posts. These accounts, crafted by bots mimicking human behavior, had disappeared from social media for months, either being locked or temporarily deactivated.

Now reactivated with different names, the accounts aim to avoid detection while continuing to build connections with Israelis. “These connections enable the profiles to easily spread hostile, inciting messages and amplify content that serves the network’s goals,” Ynet reported.

“This is a serious and troubling phenomenon,” said Achiya Schatz, CEO of FakeReporter. “Foreign elements are successfully infiltrating Israeli networks to spy, incite, and spread propaganda. Once exposed, they simply change the profiles’ identities without facing any consequences.”

Schatz criticized Meta, Facebook’s parent company, for not informing users or providing sufficient tools to combat the threat. “If we were in the European Union, Facebook would be required to inform the public. But in Israel, there is no regulation, so the public is left unprotected,” he added.

Examples of resurfaced profiles include “Daniel Oz,” now known as “David Abraham,” and “Maya Lee,” renamed “Maya Lipschitz.” Some accounts boast thousands of Israeli connections, facilitating the spread of Iranian propaganda and misinformation.

FakeReporter warns that advances in artificial intelligence are making these profiles more convincing, posing an ongoing challenge for online security in Israel.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)