MI5 has issued a stark warning that Chinese spies are actively targeting UK government and military personnel through popular job websites, seeking to extract classified or sensitive information.
A bulletin released by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance – comprising the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand – highlighted an “aggressive” online recruitment strategy.
Chinese military intelligence agents are reportedly posing as representatives of private businesses or think tanks, advertising bogus roles such as foreign policy or defence analysts.
These agents, often pretending to be HR consultants for seemingly legitimate companies located abroad, are using platforms including LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork.
Their aim is to pressure candidates into providing “non-public” information.
The intelligence agencies cautioned that individuals with either direct or indirect access to British secrets are being targeted.
Even if an applicant does not possess classified information, details concerning government policy or military strategies and capabilities could still compromise national security.
The document says: “China’s military intelligence services are using an increasingly wide array of professional networking sites and online job platforms to target Five Eyes government and military personnel and anyone with access to classified or privileged information.
“These actors use an aggressive online recruitment strategy whereby intelligence officers or their affiliates pose as employees of private consultancies, think tanks or human resources firms, and place online job advertisements for foreign policy and defence analysts or similar.
“Successful candidates are pressured to provide ‘non-public’ information for unspecified clients who are associated with the Chinese government.
“China’s military intelligence services ultimately seek to acquire privileged military, political and economic intelligence that can provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes.”
The type of workers who may be targeted include:
- Security clearance holders, especially those who specialise in defence, foreign affairs and security and intelligence.
- Military personnel, including those stationed in the Indo-Pacific region, who have knowledge of regional capabilities and general activities.
- People with either indirect or peripheral access to government information, including academics, journalists, freelance writers, think tank employees, or anyone with links to the defence, security, policy and economic sectors.
After posting the adverts, the agents trawl through applicants’ CVs to find who might have access to useful information, the bulletin says.
Interviews are done virtually with the recruiters concealing their true identities, probing candidates for key details including access to government contacts, or military activities.
The job hopefuls are then asked to write a trial report on topics such as China’s relations with other countries, defence or trade, before being pushed for more sensitive information and the conversation moved to encrypted messaging platforms.
Recruits are paid between a few hundred up to several thousand dollars per report on payment platforms including PayPal, Payoneer, Zelle, Skrill, and Wise, as well as Western Union, e-transfer and cryptocurrency.
The bulletin warns that anyone involved in the unauthorised disclosure of information could face prosecution for spying.
