TEL AVIV: Israelis have been hit with a wave of frightening and false text messages in relation to the ongoing war in Gaza on service like WhatsApp. So, Israel's National Cyber System sent out a message of its own telling people that they have nothing to be afraid of - "most of the time there is nothing in these messages and their whole purpose is to make you afraid and afraid."
The agency told Israelis It is advisable to inform children and older family members of the problem so that they will not panic or send such messages on to other people.
The following recommendations were made by the National Cyber System to help people deal with this problem:
Block the sender and report them using the report button to the social network.
Delete the content or report it to the group administrators - if it was posted in a group or on a page you are part of.
Do not play into their hands and avoid entering into a conversation with them.
Do not provide personal information.
Follow the warnings of the national cyber system on Telegram and the Telegram channel of the Israel Police and check if there are similar messages that have been distributed.
Report any real threats to the police.
People were also reminded that the security and enforcement agencies monitor the network frequently and work to remove violent and inflammatory content within the framework of the law.