[86585] Cyber Warning: Spoofed SMS messages in the name of GOVIL and Highway 6
[86585] Cyber Warning: Spoofed SMS messages in the name of GOVIL and Highway 6
The National Cyber Directorate warns against spoofed messages sent within existing GOVIL threads intended to steal payment details.
Cyber Alert: A sophisticated phishing attack exploiting the GOVIL messaging system
On Wednesday, June 17, 2026, urgent reports were published regarding a wave of spoofed SMS messages being distributed to the Israeli public. According to the Hot News channel, which is identified with critical stances toward Hamas and Gaza but is neutral on internal political issues, these messages appear as official messages on behalf of the state, notifying of a "debt on Highway 6".
The report notes that the messages appear in a sophisticated manner within an existing GOVIL message thread, which gives them a credible appearance. However, Hot News emphasizes, "this is not an official message and not a hack into the GOVIL messaging service". The purpose of the link attached to the message is to lead to a spoofed website aimed at "stealing personal details or payment details".
The News Arena channel also warned its followers of the hostile activity, emphasizing that these are SMS messages intended to defraud the public under the guise of official debt payment notifications.
Guidelines from the National Cyber Directorate to the public:
- Do not click on the links attached to these messages.
- Do not enter credit card details on websites to which suspicious messages lead.
- If there is a concern about a debt, check it only through the "official Highway 6 website or application".
- Any case of a suspicious message should be reported to the 119 hotline of the National Cyber Directorate.