According to Reuters, hackers infiltrated the email accounts of the local chapter of the German governing party, the CDU in Heilbronn, and sent phishing emails to German Chancellor Merz, government departments, and other political contacts.
On October 17th local time, a spokesman for the police in Heilbronn, Germany, stated, "Initial investigations indicate that the email was sent to approximately 6,500 recipients, many of whom work in security-related positions. We confirm that the Prime Minister also received this email."
The editorial department of Xinhua also received an email containing a link to an event invitation, claiming that this event would feature well-known guests.
German police currently believe that this incident may involve phishing fraud. In such cases, cyber criminals trick the recipients into responding to fake emails in order to steal sensitive information such as passwords and bank details.
