‘Current and former federal employees should beware of these approaches and understand the potential consequences of engaging,’ the NCSC warned.
China’s intelligence agencies are recruiting current and former U.S. government employees with “deceptive online job offers,” the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) warned in a bulletin published on April 8.
“Foreign intelligence entities, particularly those in China, are targeting current and former U.S. government (USG) employees for recruitment by posing as consulting firms, corporate headhunters, think tanks, and other entities on social and professional networking sites,” the center said.
It said the job offerings and other online approaches “have become more sophisticated” in targeting individuals with U.S. government backgrounds seeking new jobs.
“Current and former federal employees should beware of these approaches and understand the potential consequences of engaging. U.S. clearance holders are reminded of their legal obligation to protect classified data even after departing USG service,” the NCSC said.
The center issued the warning amid persistent efforts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to influence and infiltrate every aspect of American society.
The FBI has issued similar warnings on its website, saying that Beijing’s intelligence services may use fake profiles on social media to target individuals with security clearances about career opportunities.
Warning Signs
Foreign malicious actors may pose as recruiters “affiliated with a legitimate firm from a non-alerting country,” the NCSC warned, adding that they may contact their targets via social media platforms, professional networking sites, emails, and various messaging platforms.
The center said job seekers should be on the lookout for red flags, such as job offers that are “too good to be true.” In this scenario, foreign actors may offer a job with “flexible work and a disproportionately high salary.”
Another example is recruiters who offer “exclusive job opportunities for quick payment” or an expedited hiring and payment cycle that may take only a few weeks instead of several months, according to the center.
Job seekers should also be cautious when recruiters shower them with excessive praise or urge them to move quickly from an established networking platform to a more secure communication method, it said.
“The recruiter may initially request you provide written reports on innocuous topics for the job, followed by demands for reports containing non-public or sensitive information,” the center added.
By Frank Fang
