facebook_privacyLONDON - Israel has asked its public to be careful while using Facebook because, it says, Arabs are trying to recruit spies on the popular social networking site. The Shin Bet security agency warned Israelis against replying to unknown messages, or divulging sensitive information the internet. The agency mentions numerous incidents in which violent groups tried to recruit Israelis through Facebook and other networking sites.

In one case, an Israeli Facebook user was contacted by a man who introduced himself as a Lebanese agent and offered money for information about Israel.

The agency also asks Israelis to be wary of seemingly innocent meetings or dates proposed online by people they do not know.

"Terror organizations are using these sites to tempt Israelis to meet up in person in order to either abduct them, kill them or recruit them as spies," The Telegraph quoted Shin Bet, as saying.

An Israeli teenager was killed eight years ago when he was lured to the West Bank by a young woman he met on the internet.

In recent years, militants have turned to the Internet to battle Israel. Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip have long been using Google Earth for better precision when firing rockets at southern Israeli cities.

Facebook does prohibit content that is hateful or threatening, and users are barred from doing "anything unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory."

But, the networking site does not hand-screen all the content on the site before it is posted. (ANI)