Brazilian Cell Phones Flooded With Fake Government Alerts After Hack

WHO:

CNN - The Brazilian government is involved in addressing the unauthorized alert.

CNN - The National Civil Defense is responsible for the warning platform that was hacked.

CNN - Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) manages the Cellbroadcast tool used for alerts.

WHAT:

CNN - An unauthorized alert was sent to cell phones across Brazil, categorized as “extreme.”

CNN - The alert contained the word “misanthropy,” spelled as “misanthropi4” using leetspeak.

CNN - The alert was initially received in Paraná and later triggered in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

CNN - The Cellbroadcast tool has been temporarily disabled following the incident.

WHERE:

CNN - The alert was received in several states across Brazil, including Paraná, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.

CNN - The state government of Paraná confirmed the alert was not triggered by its Civil Defense.

WHY:

CNN - The Brazilian government suspects the alert was the result of a hacker attack.

HOW:

CNN - The unauthorized alert was remotely triggered by someone not part of the National Civil Protection and Defense System.

CNN - The São Paulo Civil Defense stated that the alert was not sent by any of its agents and there was no record of any incident justifying the alert.

(UPDATED June 20, 2026 17:24 UTC)

An unauthorized alert categorized as "extreme" was sent to cell phones across Brazil, featuring the word "misanthropy" cleverly spelled as "misanthropi4." The Brazilian government is investigating the incident, suspecting it was the result of a hacker attack, and the Cellbroadcast tool used for these alerts has been temporarily disabled. The alert was initially received in Paraná and later triggered in major cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, with local authorities confirming that it was not initiated by their Civil Defense systems.