❓WHAT HAPPENED: Premier encrypted messaging app Signal is warning that government officials and journalists have had their accounts compromised through phishing scams.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Signal users, including government officials, journalists, and attackers employing phishing tactics.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made on Monday, March 9, 2026, with incidents reported globally.
💬KEY QUOTE: “We are aware of recent reports regarding targeted phishing attacks that have resulted in account takeovers of some Signal users, including government officials and journalists. We take this very seriously.” – Signal
🎯IMPACT: Signal emphasized user vigilance and warned against sharing SMS codes or PINs to prevent further breaches.
Signal, a premier encrypted messaging app, issued a warning on Monday that phishing scams have compromised the accounts of government officials and journalists. The company stated that these attacks were the result of social engineering rather than any breach of Signal’s encryption or infrastructure.
“We are aware of recent reports regarding targeted phishing attacks that have resulted in account takeovers of some Signal users, including government officials and journalists. We take this very seriously,” Signal announced in a statement, while noting, “To be clear: Signal’s encryption and infrastructure have not been compromised and remain robust. These attacks were executed via sophisticated phishing campaigns, designed to trick users into sharing information – SMS codes and/or Signal PIN.”
“These attacks, like all phishing, rely on social engineering. Attackers impersonate trusted contacts or services (such as the non-existent ‘Signal Support Bot’) to trick victims into handing over their login credentials or other information,” the encrypted messaging company added. Signal stressed that its support team would never contact users to request their verification codes or PINs. To further protect users, the app actively reminds them to keep these details private.
The National Pulse reported in April last year that former national security official Mike Waltz mistakenly added journalist Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group chat discussing U.S. military operations in Yemen due to an iPhone mechanism that prompts contact updates automatically.
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