California Freeway Sign Hacked to Threaten Iranian Dissidents

A digital traffic sign on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles was hacked to display the web address of a site that identifies and threatens individuals deemed "traitors to the homeland," according to reports. The breach has heightened fears among Iranian dissidents living in the city, which hosts the largest Iranian population outside of Iran.

The compromised sign, located near Persian Square in Westwood, displayed the URL goorkan.info. This website describes itself as a "national campaign to identify and punish traitors to the country and supporters of hostile actions against the soil and people of Iran." The term "Goorkan" translates to "gravedigger" in Farsi.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) acknowledged the unauthorized message and stated that its project team was alerted on September 15. The agency has since notified the contractor to restore normal operations and is conducting a review of the incident.

The website goorkan.info has been linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an elite military unit designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government in 2019. The FBI issued a warning on September 15, stating that Iranian state cyber actors were targeting dissidents, activists, and journalists globally.

This incident follows a series of cyber activities attributed to Iranian actors. In March, a major cyberattack disrupted LA Metro's passenger information and payment systems, with Israeli researchers linking it to Iranian state-linked hackers. In June, an Iranian hacker group claimed to have breached water systems in several California cities.

Emel Karsaz, 48, an Iranian-born critic of the regime, discovered her name, photograph, and personal details on the goorkan.info website. She reported the incident to the FBI's Los Angeles field office on September 9. Karsaz expressed shock and fear, stating, "This is America where you have free speech and lots of security. Why do I have to see this in LA?" She described receiving threatening messages on social media, including one that alluded to physical harm.

Another individual, Iranian-born real estate broker Payam Shiravi, 59, noticed the hacked sign on September 8. Upon visiting the website, he recognized people he knew among those targeted. "It's disturbing. People that I know, who I protest with, are on the website. It's putting a target on these innocent people," Shiravi said.

Shiravi alleged that the IRGC has operatives within the U.S. and that their agents can be identified at protests by their behavior and attire. He also claimed that these agents use facial recognition technology supplied by China.

The goorkan.info website recently added a section called "The Burn List," containing a message suggesting its operators have acquired sensitive information about their targets, including "chats," "visa and residency status," and financial and communication records.

Los Angeles is home to a significant Iranian diaspora, with an estimated 141,000 Iranian Americans residing in the county. Many have settled in and around Westwood, creating a vibrant cultural hub often referred to as 'Tehrangeles'.