Rep. Randy Fine Says Iran‑Linked Phishing Impersonated Newsmax to Target His Google Account

Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., says a suspected Iranian state actor tried to compromise his personal Google account through a phishing email that impersonated conservative TV outlet Newsmax and offered a fake interview, an incident he says occurred the day after U.S. combat operations against Iran began in February. Fine told Fox News Digital that a staffer initially engaged with the message before noticing its links did not work, and U.S. Capitol Police later contacted his office, warning that the outreach appeared to come from an Iranian state actor, potentially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and arranging a call with the FBI Cyber Task Force. Fox reviewed messages showing the spoofed domain “news-max.org” and a Capitol Police note that the outreach could have originated from the IRGC, while a source said the FBI opened an investigation; the bureau declined public comment but had earlier in March confirmed that an Iran-linked group called the Handala Hack Team breached FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal email. Fine, who describes himself as “the most visible Jewish Republican politician in America,” says he believes he was deliberately singled out amid broader threats he’s received, highlighting how the Iran war is spilling into personalized cyber operations against high-profile U.S. political figures. The episode underscores mounting concern inside U.S. security agencies about state-sponsored spear-phishing that leverages media impersonation to get around staff screening and hit officials’ personal accounts, a tactic cybersecurity experts say is proliferating but remains hard to police.