مجهول ينتحل هوية رئيس تحرير «عكاظ» للتواصل مع قيادات يمنية

In an incident that raises security concerns and questions about its objectives and motives, an unknown individual using a German phone number attempted to impersonate the editor-in-chief of "Okaz" and the general supervisor of "Saudi Gazette," colleague Jamil Al-Dhiabi, and contacted the offices of Yemeni political and military leaders, using his personal photo in the profile of his "WhatsApp" account. This was followed by more suspicious details, including sending a dubious electronic link and attempting to mislead the targeted parties into believing they were communicating with a fictitious employee at the newspaper.

The discovery of the incident came after "Okaz" received two calls from the office of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi and the office of the Presidential Leadership Council member and Commander of the Giants Forces, Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Al-Mahrimi (Abu Zar'ah), informing them that they had received calls from an unknown person using a German phone number (which Okaz has retained), introducing himself as a journalist at "Okaz," using the photo of its editor-in-chief Jamil Al-Dhiabi on "WhatsApp," in an attempt to mislead the parties he was communicating with into believing he was Al-Dhiabi himself.

Dubious Link and Fictitious Employee!

In a notable development, details of the incident revealed that when the office of Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Al-Mahrimi Abu Zar'ah attempted to reconnect with the mentioned number, the impersonator sent a dubious electronic link, demanding that it be clicked under the pretext of communicating with the director of the editor-in-chief's office at "Okaz," claiming that her name was "Mona."

The absence of any employee by that name at the newspaper raises suspicions about the true identity and objectives of the impersonator, along with fears that the link could be used for fraudulent purposes or attempts at cyber intrusion aimed at obtaining sensitive information and data.

Targeting Yemeni Leadership Offices

The seriousness of the incident goes beyond mere impersonation of a journalist, considering the nature of the targeted entities. The unknown individual sought to exploit the name of a Saudi media institution and the identity of its editor-in-chief to reach the offices of Yemeni political and military leaders, amid sensitive security and political conditions in the region, which could lead to significant security, political, and media repercussions.

"Okaz" Denies Connection to the Calls

"Okaz" confirmed that it has no connection to these calls, emphasizing that the person who made them does not represent the newspaper in any capacity, and that its editor-in-chief, colleague Jamil Al-Dhiabi, has not authorized anyone to communicate on his behalf with the mentioned parties.

It clarified that the use of its editor-in-chief's photo, name, and professional title, along with the claim of a fictitious employee in his office, represents an attempt at deception and identity theft that necessitates investigation into its circumstances, especially as it is coupled with sending a dubious electronic link to one of the targeted entities.

Warning Against Media Identity Theft

"Okaz" warned against dealing with any calls or messages that impersonate the newspaper or the names of its editorial leaders, urging verification of the callers' identities through official channels and avoiding opening links from unknown sources.

It stressed the importance of taking necessary measures in coordination with security and relevant authorities to uncover the identity of the impersonator and their motives, and to prevent the exploitation of the names of Saudi media institutions and their personnel in dubious practices that could extend beyond identity theft to more serious security threats.