A journalist from LBC was offered payment by an alleged Iran-linked contact to carry out a street-level act of vandalism within hours of contact, the British broadcaster reported on Friday.
The undercover reporter, engaging with a Telegram channel advertising “high-paid” work, was instructed to burn images of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in a London street and send video proof in exchange for cryptocurrency.
“This is the first step in building trust, and I will pay for it,” the account wrote, presenting the task as an entry point to further assignments.
Matt Jukes, the deputy commissioner of the Met Police, has warned that proxies being asked to act on behalf of Iran are easily expendable and will be dropped by their handlers as soon as police get involved.
“You’re going to prison if you do that,” Jukes said. “We are going to catch you because London, this fantastic city, is on the lookout for you.”
Recruitment mirrors known playbooks
Jonathan Hall KC, the UK’s independent reviewer of state threats legislation, said the exchange reflected patterns seen in earlier foreign-directed cases.
“It looks straight from that sort of recruitment playbook,” Hall said. “The individual is being asked to do something that you might think is fairly minor and trivial… but presumably once you’ve done that and proved yourself, this is just the beginning.”
Security specialists said the model reflects a broader shift toward outsourcing operations to individuals motivated by money rather than ideology.
Officials warn of broader pattern
The outreach surfaced alongside recent arson attacks targeting Jewish-linked sites in London, increasing concern among officials about coordinated intimidation efforts.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “increasingly concerned” about foreign states using proxies for criminal acts, pledging to accelerate legislation addressing the issue.
Stephen Silverman of Campaign Against Antisemitism said the findings point to foreign-linked disruption. “By getting this to take root and getting people to act on it and spread fear and alarm, they are working to undermine our everyday lives,” Silverman said.
Authorities said the exchange has been passed to counter-terrorism police, underscoring warnings that seemingly minor tasks can serve as gateways to more serious criminal activity.
