The United Kingdom’s military intelligence agency, MI5, has accused Chinese spies of flooding LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork with fake job ads to lure international citizens into revealing state secrets.
This is coming months after a former U.S. airforce major Gerald Eddie Brown is facing charges for being recruited by Beijing to train Chinese military on combat operations.
Five Eyes Alliance comprising UK, U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand issued a joint statement alleging that the Chinese government had resorted to unscrupulous means to acquire military secrets through foreign job applicants who had ties to their government.
Applicants seeking analyst positions were the most targeted as Chinese recruitment firms pressed them for “non-public” information during assessment that could benefit Beijing.
Individuals who might have security clearance, academic scholars or staff of think-tank organisations were also among people who are reportedly appealing to the Chinese firms.
Job applicants were often asked to draft trial reports on several topics including China’s defence systems, diplomacy and international relations.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis urged military officers not to compromise their nation’s security and fall for the gimmicks of the Chinese spies.
“I urge all government and military personnel to follow the National Protective Security Authority’s advice to spot signs of online targeting and avoid inadvertently compromising our security,” Mr Jarvis.
“We have taken robust action to defend our country and will continue to tackle hostile actions from a range of states including China. A number of recent cases show the strength of the powers we have to bring to justice those that undertake acts on behalf of a foreign state,” he added.
The Chinese government has however refuted the accusations saying the Five Eyes alliance was the real threat to other countries.
“The Five Eyes alliance is the world’s largest intelligence organisation, and its members brazenly conduct espionage activities around the world. They are the real threat to peace-loving countries,” the BBC quoted a Chinese embassy official in the UK as saying.
