Chinese Spies Are Trapping Western Experts via LinkedIn

Chinese intelligence agencies are using job search and recruiting platforms like LinkedIn to induce experts from Western countries to share classified information. This was revealed in a joint warning issued by the US FBI, the UK's MI5, and the governments of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Techcrunch.com reports .

According to the report, Chinese spies pose as representatives of fake companies located outside China, recruiters, or HR specialists. Their main goal is to obtain non-public information that could serve Beijing's interests. This warning was issued at a time when the US and the UK are trying to improve relations with China.

While Chinese spies often rely on hacking attacks to steal data, this new report shows they are attempting to establish contact with live sources through public websites and social networks. Chinese military intelligence aims to collect privileged military, political, and economic information to gain strategic and tactical advantage over countries in the "Five Eyes" alliance.

Spies primarily target employees with access to classified information, military personnel, journalists, academics, and think tank staff. Candidates are selected based on their resumes and the likelihood of possessing important information. Even non-classified information can be useful for Beijing's political decisions when combined with other data.

A LinkedIn representative told TechCrunch that creating fake accounts violates platform rules. "We focus on detecting state-sponsored abuse and continue to take action against fake profiles," the company representative added.