Intelligence agencies warn of spies using LinkedIn to target workers

The FBI, the U.K.’s security service MI5, and the governments of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have issued a joint advisory warning that Chinese spies are using job search and recruitment websites, including LinkedIn, to lure Western workers into sharing sensitive information. The warning represents a coordinated effort by the Five Eyes, which is an intelligence-collection alliance formed by the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

According to the joint advisory, these Chinese spies pose as online recruiters and human resources firms representing fake companies that are purportedly located outside of China. These actors use these fake profiles to target individuals with the aim of obtaining non-public information that might benefit Beijing, which serves as a metonym for the Chinese government. While Chinese spies often rely on hacking to steal information, the advisory underscores how they also attempt to cultivate sources through public websites and communities. This warning comes as governments continue to issue warnings about Chinese espionage, even as the U.S. and the U.K. have tried to improve relations with Beijing of late.

The advisory notes that the spies target and cultivate long-term relationships with security clearance holders—individuals authorized to access classified information—and military personnel, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. However, the targeting also extends to journalists, academics, and think-tank employees who possess knowledge of unclassified information. Targets are selected partly based on their professional resumes and the likelihood that they might have knowledge of potentially sensitive or non-public information. Per the advisory, even unclassified information can be useful to these intelligence services, particularly when combined with other sensitive details to benefit Beijing’s policy decisions. Through these efforts, China’s military intelligence services ultimately seek to acquire privileged military, political, and economic intelligence to provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage over the Five Eyes alliance.

Responding to the warning, a spokesperson for LinkedIn emphasized that the platform prohibits misrepresentation and fake profiles. “Creating a fake account or misrepresenting your identity is a clear violation of our terms of service. We remain focused on detecting state-sponsored abuse, and will continue to enforce our policies against fake accounts,” the spokesperson said. The platform defines state-sponsored abuse as malicious activity conducted on a platform by or on behalf of a government.

Why it matters

This advisory highlights a shift in espionage tactics, moving from traditional hacking to the exploitation of public professional networks to cultivate long-term sources among Western security and military personnel.