Screen grab from the Reward for Justice video.
An Iraqi news channel affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Units has fooled the US Department of State’s Reward for Justice program.
On June 10, the program offered a reward of up to $3 million for any information about past or upcoming attacks on US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in Iraq. A phone number was made available to those willing to provide information.
يا أهل #العراق الاوفياء، يهاجم إرهابيون جبناء البعثات الدبلوماسية الأمريكية في العراق ثم يهرعون للاختباء بين السكان المدنيين. تقدم أمريكا مكافأة تصل إلى 3 ملايين دولار لمعلومات عن هجمات مخطط لها أو سابقة ضد المنشآت الدبلوماسية الأمريكية. راسلونا نصيا عبر واتساب أو تلغرام أو سغنال pic.twitter.com/kAf66O4VYG
— Rewards for Justice عربي (@Rewards4Justice) June 10, 2021
The Telegram channel, Sabereen News, shared a screenshot of the reward offer with a small but significant difference. The channel had changed the phone number in the screenshot to one of their own.
The Reward for Justice program noticed the trick a few hours later and issued a warning with the real phone number on Twitter.
لعب قشمرة يا شباب، يسعدنا انو عجبكم الفيديو مالتنا، بس انتو غيرتوا رقم التلفون.
هذا هو الرقم الصحيح:
1-202-294-1037 +
مثل ما هو موجود على حسابات تواصلنا الاجتماعي الموثقة ☑️
⚖️💰 pic.twitter.com/9Bg7PQqQxy— Rewards for Justice عربي (@Rewards4Justice) June 11, 2021
However, the warning came too late. According to the Sabereen News, many people contacted the fake number to provide information for the “Americans”. One of those fooled was a policeman who serves at the Iranian consulate in Najaf city.
Sabereen News noted that everyone who contacted its number with the aim of providing the US with intelligence will be “pardoned”.
The scandal went viral in Iraq with many mocking the Reward for Justice program and those willing to risk their lives for the US. Hashtag (#Sabreen_Scamming_America) trended on Twitter in the country for several hours.
In the last few months, the US grew desperate as more and more attacks targeted its troops, diplomates and supply convoys in Iraq. Washington’s intelligence has failed to address this threat.
