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.
Online Recruitment Strategy
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.
Targeted Individuals
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 states: "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."
It adds: "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."
Who May Be Targeted
- Security clearance holders, especially those specialising in defence, foreign affairs, and security and intelligence.
- Military personnel, including those stationed in the Indo-Pacific region, with knowledge of regional capabilities.
- People with indirect or peripheral access to government information, including academics, journalists, freelance writers, think tank employees, or anyone with links to defence, security, policy, and economic sectors.
Recruitment Process
After posting adverts, agents trawl through applicants’ CVs to find those with access to useful information. Interviews are conducted virtually, with recruiters concealing their true identities and probing candidates for key details, including access to government contacts or military activities.
Job hopefuls are asked to write a trial report on topics such as China’s relations with other countries, defence, or trade. They are then pushed for more sensitive information, and conversations are moved to encrypted messaging platforms.
Recruits are paid between a few hundred and several thousand dollars per report via platforms including PayPal, Payoneer, Zelle, Skrill, Wise, Western Union, e-transfer, and cryptocurrency.
The bulletin warns that anyone involved in the unauthorised disclosure of information could face prosecution for spying.
