Chinese intelligence officials headhunt on LinkedIn to spy on US

In December last year, Indian intelligence revealed that some Chinese apps, including SHAREit, were installed with spyware, prompting the Ministry of Defense to issue a directive instructing military personnel to remove such apps. I put it out. At the time, SHAREit and other companies refuted the accusations, but now a new spying scandal against China is rearing its ugly head.

U.S. counterintelligence chief William Evanina told Reuters that Chinese intelligence is trying to use fake LinkedIn accounts to recruit Americans with access to government files and military secrets. U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials have informed LinkedIn of this serious issue, and the company has acknowledged it.

Evanina added that LinkedIn has become a prime venue for foreign adversaries to target everyone, including government officials and former CIA personnel, as well as academics, scientists, and engineers. It’s the ultimate playground for collections. ”

However, neither LinkedIn nor U.S. intelligence agencies have disclosed the scale of Chinese intelligence’s spy recruitment efforts. Further details have not been released so far about the number of fake accounts or the specific Americans contacted for espionage purposes. LinkedIn’s director of trust and safety, Paul Rockwell, confirmed that the Microsoft-owned company is in contact with U.S. law enforcement regarding Chinese intelligence espionage efforts on LinkedIn.

According to a Reuters report, Chinese intelligence agencies have access to military secrets and government files, as well as experts in multiple fields such as nuclear physics, supercomputing, nanotechnology, healthcare, stealth technology, and green energy. It targets people who have access. Headhunting to recruit Americans as spies includes not only students but also government employees, intelligence agents, and scientists.

Chinese intelligence officials are reportedly using fake LinkedIn profiles to contact targets and offer rewards such as business proposals, academic cooperation, and full payments to China. Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denies the accusations, saying they are nonsense and have ulterior motives.