Personnel from the United States Marine Corps, along with civilian staff and their families, received threatening text messages this week from a hacking group linked to Iran, though US authorities have described the threats as unsubstantiated.
In a statement to CNN on Friday, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said the messages were part of an apparent digital harassment campaign, News.Az reports.
One of the messages reviewed warned recipients that their identities were known and that they were being monitored. Some service members responded dismissively. According to a screenshot shared by the hackers, one replied, “Good luck,” accompanied by sunglasses and American flag emojis.
The same Iran-linked group also claimed it had leaked personal contact information of US Marines stationed in the Middle East, at a time when tensions remain high despite a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
US officials have sought to downplay the immediate risk. An NCIS spokesperson said such campaigns are routinely monitored and are generally intended to create fear rather than indicate a credible physical threat.
The incident follows a broader warning issued last month by the United States Department of the Navy, which urged personnel to strengthen their online security against “adversary cyber actors” targeting service members and their families.
According to the memo, such actors aim to exert psychological pressure and may attempt to trick individuals into clicking malicious links or exposing sensitive information.
The hacking group involved has previously been linked to psychological operations designed to amplify the perceived impact of cyber activities. In March, it reportedly hacked the personal email account of Kash Patel and released older photos online.
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