Chinese spies use LinkedIn to lure Westerners into sharing sensitive information

Spies working for Chinese intelligence use job search and recruitment sites, including LinkedIn, to lure Western workers into sharing sensitive information, according to a joint advisory issued by the FBI, MI5, and the governments of Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

The advisory says Chinese spies are posing as online recruiters and human resources companies posing as fake companies allegedly based out of China, targeting people with the goal of obtaining non-public information that could benefit Beijing.

The advice comes as governments continue to issue warnings about Chinese espionage, even as the US and UK have tried to improve relations with Beijing recently. While Chinese spies often rely on hacking to steal information, the warning highlights how spies also attempt to grow sources through public websites and communities.

China’s military intelligence services “ultimately seek distinctive military, political and economic intelligence that could provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes,” the warning said, referring to the decades-long intelligence-gathering alliance formed by the five countries behind the joint statement.

Spies target and establish long-term relationships with security clearance holders and military personnel, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as journalists, academics and think tank staff with knowledge of unclassified information. Targets are selected in part based on their resume and the likelihood that they will have knowledge of potentially sensitive or non-public information.

According to the advisory, unclassified information could still be useful to spies, especially if combined with other, more sensitive information that could inform Beijing’s policy decisions.

When contacted by TechCrunch for comment, a LinkedIn spokesperson said: “Creating a fake account or misrepresenting your identity is a clear violation of our Terms of Service. We remain focused on detecting state-sponsored abuses, and will continue to enforce our policies against fake accounts.”