The Five Eyes coalition of security agencies warned in a joint statement on Wednesday that Chinese spies are posing as recruiters to deceive employees in Western governments and obtain sensitive information, by posting fake job advertisements on platforms such as LinkedIn. The coalition confirmed that the targets are people with security clearance, military personnel, journalists, or academics, warning that unclassified information may endanger the lives of army personnel, weaken economic prosperity, and open the way for interference in democratic processes.

Published on: 04/06/2026 - 22:44

The Five Eyes coalition of security agencies has warned that Chinese spies posing as recruiters are deceiving employees in Western governments out of sensitive information.

Chinese military intelligence services publish fake job advertisements for analysts specializing in foreign policy or defense, for example, on platforms including LinkedIn, according to what the British, American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand intelligence services reported in a joint warning on Wednesday night.

The clients claim to be human resources consultants or employees of private consulting firms or “legitimate-looking” research centers that claim to be based outside China.

They pressure candidates to reveal “non-public” information during the interview, including by writing a report, according to intelligence agencies.

Read also: Beijing threatens measures to combat foreign espionage after an American video recruiting Chinese agents

Targeted: Security clearance holders, military personnel, and journalists

The Five Eyes coalition added that the targets are people with security clearance, military personnel, journalists, or academics. Military personnel may be asked about their role and the activities of their unit or the base or ship where they serve.

Recruiters receive payments that range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per report, and may be offered larger sums for more sensitive information, according to agencies.

Risk of non-confidential information

The coalition warned that “while applicants typically do not have access to classified information, even non-classified information” could be useful to the Chinese government.

He stressed that "certain types of data could endanger the lives of army personnel deployed on the front line or other elements, weaken our economic prosperity, and open the way for interference in our democratic processes."

He pointed out that people have been identified as victims of the fraud, “which led to criminal prosecutions, job losses, and the withdrawal of their security clearances.”

A series of Western warnings about Chinese espionage

Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned of the threat of espionage by China, Russia and Iran in recent years. Last month, a jury in London convicted two Chinese and British citizens of spying on Hong Kong opponents for Beijing. They are still awaiting the ruling against them.

France 24/AFP

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