'Extreme alert' from Civil Defense is the system's most serious warning and has already been used in other risk situations

Extreme Civil Defense alert: what is known about the fake messages sent to cell phones A sound alert classified as extreme by the Civil Defense was sent to the cell phones of residents of several cities in Brazil in the early hours of this Saturday (20). The messages contained the word "misanthropy", or variations of it, and were not related to any real risk situation.

In some locations, however, the warning mentioned a supposed "alien attack". The notification is part of the "Extreme Alert" category, the most serious level of the system. It is used when the Civil Defense identifies threats with imminent risk to life, requiring the population to seek protection immediately. This is not the first time this category has been triggered.

Anatel maintains a portal that allows tracking the most recent alerts sent by the system. Civil Defense alert with the word "misanthropy" rang on the cell phones of residents of Campo Grande. Reproduction Among the latest classified as "extreme" is a warning issued on May 31, 2026, to residents of Manaus (AM): "Landslide for Manaus.

Stay away from slopes. Seek safe shelter". Anatel data shows that this same classification was used throughout 2025 in various regions of Brazil for alerts regarding flooding, thunderstorms with lightning, landslides, hail, floods, and gales. In addition to the extreme alert, the system has the "Severe Alert", a classification of lower urgency.

In these cases, the population has more time to take protective measures, according to the Civil Defense. As of 2:43 PM this Saturday, 2,507 alerts had been issued by Civil Defense agencies since the beginning of the program. Of that total, 227 were classified as "extreme" and about 2,280 as "severe", according to Anatel. How the two types of alerts issued by the Civil Defense work: 🟠 Severe alert: in addition to the text, it emits a "beep" on the smartphone, but only sounds if the device is not in silent mode. 🔴 Extreme alert: triggers a sound signal similar to a siren, in addition to the text message.

The sound is activated even if the cell phone is in silent mode. Platform taken offline The National Civil Defense reported that the platform used to send the alerts was taken offline at 1:30 AM this Saturday (20), after suffering an invasion. According to the agency, the trigger was done remotely by someone without authorization and may have been the result of a hacker attack.

"The National Secretariat for Protection and Civil Defense of the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development will notify the Federal Police and will take measures to reconnect the system as quickly as possible, when all security conditions are re-established", it said in a note. The episode was reported by residents of cities such as: Curitiba São Paulo Rio de Janeiro Belo Horizonte Brasília Salvador and Campo Grande. Map of regions that received alerts from the National Civil Defense Gabriel Wesley Marques Santos/Art g1 Elon Musk becomes the first trillionaire in human history.