Five Eyes Warn Chinese Spies Recruit UK Government And Military Staff Via LinkedIn

The Five Eyes intelligence alliance warned that Chinese spies are using job websites to target UK government and military staff into disclosing state secrets, including through fake analyst roles advertised on LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork.

The bulletin said undercover operatives are pressured into revealing "non-public" information that can be used by the Chinese military intelligence service, which it said "seek to acquire privileged military, political and economic intelligence" for a strategic and tactical advantage.

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The BBC reported that MI5 and partners described a recruitment process in which applicants are then pressured into revealing "non-public" information after virtual interviews and trial reports.

The Guardian added that the bulletin described an "aggressive" online recruitment strategy in which spies for Beijing military intelligence pose as workers acting on behalf of private businesses or thinktanks.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis urged personnel to follow the National Protective Security Authority's advice to spot signs of online targeting and avoid inadvertently compromising security, saying, "I urge all government and military personnel to follow the National Protective Security Authority's advice".

The Chinese embassy spokesperson condemned the warning as "purely false" and "malicious slander," adding that "The Five Eyes alliance is the world's largest intelligence organisation" and its members "brazenly conduct espionage activities around the world."

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The BBC said the Five Eyes bulletin described a last stage in which job hopefuls are asked to write trial reports on topics including China's international relations or defence, with recruits paid "up to a thousand dollars per report" through payment platforms.

The Politico.eu bulletin said the joint statement warned that "Certain types of data can place the lives of frontline military" at risk, and it described a five-step plan that includes commissioning reports based on sensitive information about China, defense, and the Indo-Pacific.

The Five Eyes bulletin warned that workers who could be targeted range from security clearance holders to academics and think tank employees, and it said the targeting effort extends to those with direct or indirect access to British secrets.

The BBC reported that the bulletin said applicants are then asked to write trial reports and that recruits are paid "up to a thousand dollars per report," while the Guardian said the job hopefuls are asked to write a trial report before being pushed for more sensitive information as the conversation moves to encrypted messaging platforms.

The Guardian said the document published by Asio, CSIS, FBI, MI5 and NZSIS warned that "Successful candidates are pressured to provide ‘non-public’ information" for unspecified clients associated with the Chinese government.

The New York Post reported that LinkedIn’s spokesperson said creating a fake account or misrepresenting identity is "a clear violation of our terms of service," while the Chinese embassy spokesperson again slammed the allegations as "malicious slander" and said the Five Eyes alliance is the real threat to peace-loving countries.