LinkedIn Is The Latest Target For China's Spies, According To Federal Agencies

If you're actively looking for a job online and use sites such as LinkedIn, Upwork, and Indeed, you may want to be cautious. It has been reported that China is targeting digital job platforms as a means of gaining access to classified information. According to reports from the intelligence-sharing alliance Five Eyes, which is made up of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S., Chinese spies are posting fake jobs in an attempt to gather sensitive info. This has led domestic intelligence agencies like the FBI to warn the public about the job ads being posted to LinkedIn in the same way the FBI warned about replacing Wi-Fi routers.

On LinkedIn, Chinese military intelligence agents have reportedly been posing as recruiters for foreign policy and defense analyst jobs. Once someone applies for the position, the recruiters request candidates give them non-public knowledge. Potential candidates include anyone who may work in certain job sectors and markets that may pertain to areas including security, government, clearance, military personnel, and even journalists. The candidates are asked to write a paper covering political themes like China's international relations, defense capabilities, or trade agreements.

Government agencies from Five Eyes nations are urging anyone who may find themselves targeted to be wary. This isn't the first report that the Chinese have used technology to gain access to sensitive information, either, with investigations suggesting that China may have hacked AT&T and Verizon.

Job platforms such as LinkedIn can contain numerous scams and fake jobs. It's something that applicants must be on the lookout for when using the platform and others. With fake job ads being prevalent on hiring platforms, it's important to know what to look for to better protect you and your time.

To better spot a job that may not lead anywhere or one that is a scam, do thorough research before applying. If you see a job posting on a hiring platform, go to the company website to check there. Another way to tell is if the job asks for payment upfront. However, one of the biggest tells is if a company asks you for sensitive and personal information during the process. Companies will ask for details such as a Social Security number once you are brought on board. Also, it's good to check if the job was posted by AI, as it could lead you to a shady source infected with malware.