GERMANY’S federal prosecutors have been conducting a preliminary investigation since mid-February 2026 into alleged cyberattacks on Signal accounts, with the government saying the attacks targeted high‑ranking officials, including two government ministers, military personnel and journalists. Around 300 Signal accounts belonging to individuals within the political sphere were compromised, Der Spiegel reported.
The attackers used a fake Signal security chatbot that informed recipients of suspicious activity and asked them to take action, and victims who followed the prompts had their Signal accounts linked to an external device controlled by the hackers. Authorities warned the campaign was likely being carried out by a state‑controlled cyber actor, after warnings issued by Germany’s domestic intelligence service BfV and the federal cybersecurity authority BSI.
Dutch intelligence and security services also warned that Russian state hackers are engaged in a large‑scale global campaign to gain access to Signal and WhatsApp accounts belonging to dignitaries, military personnel and civil servants. The German government has not officially attributed the attacks to Russia, and the Russian embassy in Berlin did not respond to requests for comment.