Overview
- The five domestic security agencies issued a rare joint bulletin on Wednesday that says Chinese military intelligence uses professional networking and freelance platforms to identify and recruit people with access to sensitive information.
- The agencies detail a multi‑stage technique that begins with fake job ads on LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork, moves candidates to virtual interviews and encrypted messaging, and then requests written reports for which recruits are paid.
- Payments are made through third‑party services such as PayPal, Payoneer, Zelle, Wise and Western Union or by cryptocurrency, with recruits offered hundreds to thousands of dollars per report.
- At‑risk groups include security‑cleared defence and foreign‑affairs staff, military personnel especially in the Indo‑Pacific, and peripheral actors like academics, journalists and think‑tank workers because unclassified data can be combined into a damaging operational picture.
- Beijing has dismissed the claims as slander, platforms say misrepresentation breaks their rules, and governments have urged vigilance and issued guidance while noting some identified cases have already led to criminal charges, job losses and revoked clearances.