Today at 17:43
The UK’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, has warned that Chinese spies are using job-search platforms such as LinkedIn to target British officials and military personnel.
According to The Guardian, cited by UATV English, spies are approaching UK government employees and members of the armed forces through job websites, including LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork, in an effort to gain access to classified or sensitive information.
The Five Eyes intelligence alliance — comprising the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand — has issued a bulletin highlighting an aggressive online recruitment strategy in which operatives linked to Beijing’s military intelligence pose as representatives of private companies or think tanks.
The operatives advertise fictitious positions, such as foreign policy or defense analysts, before pressuring candidates to provide non-public information.
According to intelligence agencies, the spies focus on individuals with direct or indirect access to classified information. Even when candidates do not possess such access, revealing details about government policies or military strategies could still pose a threat to national security.
“Successful candidates are pressured to provide ‘non-public’ information for unspecified clients linked to the Chinese government,” the report states.
Interviews are conducted virtually, with recruiters concealing their true identities while questioning candidates about sensitive matters, including their access to government contacts or military activities.
Candidates are then asked to prepare trial reports on topics such as China’s relations with other countries, defense, or trade before being encouraged to provide increasingly sensitive information.
The bulletin warns that anyone involved in the unauthorized disclosure of information could face prosecution for espionage-related offenses.
In October last year, Matthew Collins said that Chinese intelligence services had carried out large-scale espionage operations that threatened Britain’s economy and national security.
Earlier this year, British police arrested three people suspected of spying for China. One of them was reportedly the husband of Labour Party MP Joani Reid.
Read also: Ukraine and Norway Explore Cooperation in Gas Production and Energy Technologies
