Team Jorge

Full Report

Key Points

• Team Jorge is an Israel-based covert disinformation and cyber influence unit led by Tal Hanan (alias “Jorge”), a former special forces operative, claiming success in 27 of 33 presidential elections worldwide through hacking, bots, and sabotage, exposed in a 2023 undercover investigation by Forbidden Stories and partners.
• The group uses Advanced Impact Media Solutions (AIMS) software to manage thousands of fake social media profiles (bots) for disinformation, exploits SS7 vulnerabilities for unauthorized access to accounts like Telegram and Gmail, and deploys AI for fake news generation, with verified interference in elections like Kenya 2022 and Nigeria 2015.
• No major new operations or legal actions reported as of October 2025, though signs suggest resumed activities post-exposure; Hanan denies wrongdoing, and the group maintains low visibility with no formal public entity.
• Public discourse on X in 2024-2025 links Team Jorge to broader election interference concerns, including unsubstantiated claims in India, US, and Venezuela, reflecting ongoing alarm over foreign meddling.
• Risks remain critical due to ethical violations in undermining democracies, potential legal breaches of election laws and hacking regulations, and reputational damage from associations, with no documented lawsuits or financial issues.

Overview

Team Jorge is a secretive Israeli cyber mercenary group specializing in election disruption and influence operations, led by Tal Hanan under the pseudonym “Jorge,” a former special forces operative with expertise in counter-terrorism and intelligence. The unit offers services including hacking via SS7 exploits for accessing secure accounts (e.g., Telegram, Gmail), deploying bot armies through AIMS software for automated disinformation on platforms like Twitter and Facebook, forging blackmail material, planting false stories in media, and physical sabotage. Claiming involvement in over 30 presidential campaigns across Africa, Latin America, Europe, and beyond since the early 2000s, they charge multimillion-euro fees (e.g., €6-15 million per election). Exposed in 2023 via undercover journalism by Forbidden Stories involving 100+ reporters from 30 outlets, the group operates from offices in Modi’in, Israel, and maintains global networks; Hanan denies illegality, emphasizing “intelligence work” over PR. No significant updates or shutdowns noted by 2025, with indications of continued low-profile activities.

Allegations and Concerns

• Election Interference: Claimed manipulation in 33 campaigns, verified in Kenya 2022 (hacking advisor Dennis Itumbi’s Telegram for disinformation) and Nigeria 2015 (with Cambridge Analytica); tactics include bot-driven narratives, false intelligence, and chaos creation to suppress turnout.
• Hacking and Privacy Violations: Demonstrated unauthorized access to officials’ accounts (e.g., Mozambique minister’s Gmail) using SS7 flaws; poses risks to cybersecurity and personal data, potentially violating international privacy laws.
• Disinformation and Blackmail: AIMS creates realistic fake profiles with backstories for amplifying planted stories (e.g., in French media like BFM TV); includes sabotage like sending compromising items to rivals’ homes.
• Ties to Controversial Entities: Collaborated with Cambridge Analytica for African/South American ops; avatars promoted sanctioned yacht firms and Belarusian cronies, raising ethical flags in global scandals.
• Lack of Transparency and Regulation: Operates covertly without public registration for hacking services, evading Israeli defense export laws; potential foreign agent violations in US lobbying.

Customer Feedback

Team Jorge’s clandestine services to political campaigns, intelligence agencies, and corporations yield no public client reviews, as operations demand secrecy. X sentiment in 2024-2025 expresses outrage and suspicion: one post highlights undercover video of Israeli contractors manipulating 33+ elections, urging awareness of digital threats. Another ties them to Indian election meddling claims, calling for probes into voter manipulation. References to global interference (e.g., US, Venezuela) frame them as threats to democracy, with no positive endorsements found; narrative emphasizes ethical dangers over efficacy.

Risk Considerations

• Legal Risks: Hacking and interference may breach cybersecurity, privacy, and election laws in multiple jurisdictions (e.g., US FARA for unregistered lobbying); 2023 exposure increases prosecution potential, though no actions by 2025.
• Reputational Risks: Ties to scandals like Cambridge Analytica and verified bot campaigns damage associates, with media/X portraying as “black ops” undermining global trust.
• Ethical Risks: Undermining democratic processes via disinformation erodes public faith, exacerbating polarization; AI enhancements amplify scalable manipulation.
• Operational Risks: Covert tactics vulnerable to stings like 2023 exposure; platform detection of bots and SS7 countermeasures could disrupt services.
• Geopolitical Risks: Operations in sensitive regions (Africa, Latin America) risk sanctions or diplomatic backlash, especially with Israeli ties amid global cyber scrutiny.

Business Relations and Associations

• Leadership: Tal Hanan leads, with brother Zohar (CEO “Nick,” polygraph expert); team includes ex-Shabak operatives like Mashy Meidan (“Max”) and Shuki Friedman for psyops.
• Alleged Partnerships: Collaborated with Cambridge Analytica (2015 Nigeria); linked to tools from Rayzone/TA9 for surveillance; past associates like Martin Rodil (Global Resources Solutions) and Roger Noriega (lobbying).
• Client Base: Serves political campaigns, intel agencies, corporations; demos targeted African elections; payments via crypto, cash, or fronts like NGOs/law firms.
• Entities: Operates via Demoman International (defense-registered) and Axiomatics PR; informal structure with 100+ employees across 6 offices, no public company for illicit services.

Legal and Financial Concerns

• Lawsuits: None documented against Team Jorge or Hanan as of 2025; operates in legal gray areas, with Israeli law prohibiting private hacking sales; potential FARA violations unprosecuted.
• Bankruptcy Records: No filings; financial opacity via hidden transfers (e.g., Dubai firms, crypto).
• Unpaid Debts: No evidence; high fees (€6M+ per job) suggest robust but concealed finances, potentially attracting money laundering scrutiny.
• Regulatory Scrutiny: 2023 exposure prompted no formal actions; Israeli MoD registration for Demoman raises export compliance issues; platforms like Meta struggle with bot detection.

Risk Assessment Table

Team Jorge epitomizes the privatized cyber threat to global elections, leveraging ex-intel expertise and tools like AIMS for scalable disinformation that evades detection, as seen in verified ops like Kenya. While 2023 revelations persist without 2024-2025 prosecutions, their model—hacking, bots, AI—endures as a mercenary blueprint, vastly outweighing tactical “successes” with ethical devastation and democratic erosion. Ties to Cambridge Analytica and ongoing X scrutiny signal perpetual exposure risks. Entities must shun such actors, favoring ethical strategies; countermeasures necessitate enhanced platform AI, international regulations, and collaborative journalism to dismantle these shadow networks.