Eastern Eye META said on Friday (23) that it had notified US presidential campaigns of potential cyber concerns after discovering an Iran-linked attempt to utilize the WhatsApp messaging service for nefarious purposes. This announcement comes after similar warnings from internet giants such as Google and Microsoft, which have also confirmed Iranian hacking attempts ahead of the November election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. According to Meta, WhatsApp accounts affiliated with an Iranian “threat actor” impersonated technical support for organizations including AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. These accounts sent fraudulent communications in an attempt to fool users into disclosing sensitive information or gaining access to networks.

Eastern Eye 24 August, 2024. WhatsApp accounts linked to an Iranian “threat actor” impersonated technical help for corporations including AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. (Image for representation: iStock.) Follow us, alt. By: Eastern Eye META said on Friday (23) that it had notified US presidential campaigns of potential cyber concerns after discovering an Iran-linked attempt to utilize the WhatsApp messaging service for nefarious purposes. This announcement comes after similar warnings from internet giants such as Google and Microsoft, which have also confirmed Iranian hacking attempts ahead of the November election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. According to Meta, WhatsApp accounts affiliated with an Iranian “threat actor” impersonated technical support for organizations including AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft.

On Monday (19), three US intelligence and security agencies claimed Iran was behind a recent breach targeting Trump’s presidential campaign and accused Tehran of attempting to influence the 2024 election. The statement confirmed a Trump campaign assertion made earlier this month, after internal correspondence and a dossier on running mate JD Vance were leaked to a US media source. Harris’ campaign announced on August 13 that it, too, had been targeted by foreign hackers, but did not specify which country was suspected to be behind the assault. Last week, OpenAI announced that it has taken down a cluster of ChatGPT accounts that were being used to create content for a “covert Iranian influence operation.”

According to OpenAI, the operation used ChatGPT to generate articles and short commentaries, which were then distributed via social media platforms or websites. The main subjects were the Gaza crisis, Israel’s attendance at the Olympics, and the US presidential election. “They interspersed their political content with comments about fashion and beauty, possibly to appear more authentic or in an attempt to build a following,” according to OpenAI. Groups linked to the Iranian government have “laid the groundwork for influence campaigns on trending election-related topics and begun to activate these campaigns in an apparent effort to stir up controversy or sway voters – especially in swing states,” according to Clint Watts, general manager of the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center.

According to OpenAI, the operation used ChatGPT to generate articles and short commentary, which were then shared on social media platforms and websites. The key topics were the Gaza issue, Israel’s Olympic participation, and the US presidential election. “They interspersed their political content with comments about fashion and beauty, possibly to appear more authentic or in an attempt to build a following,” according to Open AI. According to Clint Watts, general manager of the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center, Iranian government-linked groups have “laid the groundwork for influence campaigns on trending election-related topics and begun to activate these campaigns in an apparent effort to stir up controversy or sway voters – especially in swing states.”