Follow Feb. 9, 2021 A number of leading Israeli activists in the anti-Netanyahu protest movement have been targeted in a catfishing operation involving fake accounts purporting to be American-Jewish philanthropists, Haaretz has learned. The Israelis received messages from users who were claiming to be Jewish-Americans donors interested in providing financial support. However, an examination of the accounts revealed them to be fake. An identity theft complaint has been lodged with the FBI on their behalf. Catfishing is the term used for when a false online persona is created in order to dupe potential victims. In this case, at least two fake profiles were used. Activists say they believe the goal of the operation was to learn more about the protest movement and its key players.