Brazil’s Integration and Regional Development Ministry and federal police are investigating an intrusion into the civil defense alert system that sent messages containing the word “misanthropy” to the mobile phones of millions of Brazilians.
The message was sent as an “Extreme Alert” — used to warn the public about extreme weather — in what was likely the result of a hacker attack, according to the ministry. National Secretary of Protection and Civil Defense Wolnei Wolff told a press conference that 10 alerts were tracked in various Brazilian states. The number of phones affected nationwide wasn’t disclosed.
Text message alerts containing the word “misanthropy,” attributed to civil defense alert system, were sent out in Brazil on June 20.
Photographer: Suamy Beydoun/AGIFP/AP Photo
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