In a joint statement released on Tuesday, Israel's domestic intelligence agency and police have announced that an Israeli citizen has been charged with colluding with Iranian spies. The suspect, identified as twenty-one-year-old Elimelech Stern, is accused of completing various "missions" given to him through social media in exchange for cryptocurrency rewards.

According to the Israel Security Agency (ISA) and the police, Stern was tasked with carrying out public notices in Tel Aviv, hiding money in different locations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and delivering packages containing threatening messages, including a severed animal head, to Israeli citizens. Shockingly, Stern completed these tasks as directed.

The joint statement also revealed that Stern was asked to start a forest fire and commit murder. However, he did not carry out these dangerous tasks. It is alleged that Stern recruited and paid two additional Israeli citizens to perform some of the assigned missions.

The Israeli security authorities did not disclose their specific methods of tracing the case back to Iranian intelligence. However, they mentioned that widely distributed text messages with similarities to Stern's case contained a reference to the website of the International Security Agency of Iran.

According to the authorities, the method of using social networks to contact Israeli citizens under false identities is a commonly used technique by Iranian intelligence agencies. They added that Iran has been intensifying its efforts to recruit Israeli citizens for various tasks, which may initially seem innocent but ultimately aim to harm Israel's national resilience, jeopardize its war efforts, sow demoralization, and widen social divisions.

The joint statement confirmed that over the past few months, numerous fake profiles operated by Iranian security agents had been identified and monitored. Extensive information about the individuals behind these profiles has been collected. Iranian agents reportedly made contact through various platforms, including Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. The approach was made in multiple languages, including Hebrew and English.

This case serves as a stark reminder of the real threat to state security posed by using social networks as a platform to deceptively recruit individuals for missions. The Israeli authorities stressed the need for vigilance and caution while using social media platforms and emphasized the importance of reporting any suspicious activities.

CNN has reached out to Iranian authorities for comment on these allegations.