JEDDAH — An unidentified individual using a German phone number impersonated Okaz Editor-in-Chief Jameel Altheyabi in an apparent attempt to establish contact with the offices of senior Yemeni political and military leaders, raising concerns over possible fraud and cyberattacks.
The impersonator used Altheyabi’s photograph as a WhatsApp profile picture and sent a suspicious link to one of the targeted offices, claiming it would connect the recipient with a purported employee of the newspaper.
The incident was uncovered after Okaz received separate calls from the offices of Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi and council member and Giants Brigades Commander Lt. Gen. Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami, also known as Abu Zara’a.
Both offices reported being contacted by an unidentified individual using a German phone number who claimed to be an Okaz journalist while displaying Altheyabi’s photograph on WhatsApp, apparently seeking to convince the recipients that they were communicating with the editor-in-chief.
When Al-Mahrami’s office attempted to contact the number, the impersonator sent a suspicious link and urged the recipient to open it to communicate with a woman identified as Mona, whom he falsely described as the director of Altheyabi’s office.
Okaz confirmed that no employee by that name works at the newspaper, raising further suspicions about the impersonator’s intentions and the possibility that the link was designed to obtain sensitive information or facilitate a cyberattack.
The newspaper categorically denied any involvement in the communications, stressing that the individual does not represent Okaz in any capacity and that Altheyabi had not authorized anyone to contact the Yemeni officials on his behalf.
Okaz said the unauthorized use of its editor-in-chief’s photograph, name and professional title, combined with the fabrication of an employee’s identity, constituted an apparent attempt at impersonation and deception that warranted investigation.
The newspaper warned against responding to suspicious calls or messages claiming to represent Okaz or its editorial leadership. It urged recipients to verify the identity of anyone contacting them through official channels and avoid opening links from unknown sources.
Source: Saudi Gazette