A covert online recruitment campaign linked to Israel’s Mossad has drawn global attention after researchers discovered that it used Google Ads to target Iranian security personnel in at least 19 countries, with Pakistan among those affected. The operation redirected individuals to recruitment pages promising money and protection and employed deceptive imagery and messaging to attract potential defectors. Researchers highlighted that the campaign illustrates how advertising platforms can be turned into tools for covert intelligence operations reaching audiences far beyond their intended targets.
According to Google’s ad transparency records, four Persian-language recruitment campaigns were run across countries including the United States, Sweden, France, Germany, and India. One of these campaigns directly linked to Mossad’s official Persian recruitment form on mossad.gov.il, openly inviting viewers to activate a VPN before clicking. Another used the image of an infant as a lure, showing text about a better future for the child but redirecting clicks to a recruitment form rather than the promised video. Some ads led to apparent consulting firms that researchers believe did not exist. Germany was singled out for special attention, as it was the only country targeted by all four campaigns. Some ads reportedly focused on family members of Iranian nuclear engineers living in Germany. One widely circulated advertisement read, “You are just one day away from making history. Call Now. The future belongs to you,” and appeared in at least 18 countries.
Pakistani researcher Zaki Khalid reported on LinkedIn that these ads were also visible to internet users in Pakistan, sparking fears about the risks posed to locals. He observed that the Farsi-language ads might have been aimed at Iranian operatives based in Pakistan, local contacts linked to Iranian activities who could be exploited financially, or Iranian diplomatic staff stationed in embassies or consulates within Pakistan. Khalid warned that such targeting could expose Pakistani citizens to surveillance or suspicion by Iranian authorities, raising serious national security concerns and highlighting the complexities of cross-border information operations.
The operation, nicknamed “Payam-e-Aabi” (Blue Message), reportedly extended beyond Google Ads to platforms such as Telegram and X, combining direct recruitment efforts with deceptive advertising. Khalid described it as a form of psychological warfare targeting the Iranian diaspora and security community, emphasizing the ease with which Big Tech platforms can be weaponized for covert state activities. Researchers note that while the full effectiveness of the campaign remains uncertain, its reach across multiple jurisdictions signals the need for closer scrutiny of online advertising ecosystems. Khalid suggested that Google and relevant authorities, including the FBI, should be pressed for answers since the ads originated from U.S. soil.
For Pakistan, the revelations underline the vulnerability of local internet users to being drawn into global intelligence campaigns and the importance of enhancing digital oversight and cooperation with international partners to counter such threats. The case also points to how covert recruitment tactics are evolving with new technologies, presenting challenges for regulators, platforms, and governments worldwide.
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