US authorities seize 13 websites allegedly used to impersonate consulting firms and target security-cleared personnel in recruitment scheme...reports Asian Lite News Desk
The US Justice Department and the FBI have seized 13 websites allegedly operated by individuals linked to China, which were reportedly used to recruit current and former US government employees and attempt to obtain sensitive information from people holding security clearances.
Officials said the domains, taken offline following an operation on Wednesday local time, were disguised as legitimate consulting firms and advertised roles such as “Senior Analyst” and “International Affairs Consultant” in an apparent effort to target individuals with military, government and national security backgrounds.
According to court documents, the alleged scheme began in November 2023 when conspirators created at least 13 fake consulting company websites alongside job postings designed to attract current and former US government and military personnel.
The Justice Department said the websites formed part of a wider operation involving fraudulent job offers, fabricated identities and overseas payments intended to extract sensitive information.
“These domain seizures offer a glimpse at how foreign actors can use promises of easy money to lure Americans into revealing sensitive or classified information that they are duty-bound to protect,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
“Anyone approached online with offers of easy income for vague ‘consulting’ work should treat those overtures with extreme caution and remain vigilant for warning signs of malicious targeting,” he said.
Investigators said those behind the scheme used aliases, stolen identities and AI-generated photographs to construct the appearance of legitimate consulting businesses. Applicants were allegedly offered substantial payments in exchange for research reports and were contacted via encrypted messaging services including Telegram.
According to federal filings, recruits were pressured to provide “exclusive” or “insider” information, with contracts and confidentiality agreements used to reinforce the credibility of the fake firms.
US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the operation was designed to exploit individuals entrusted with access to sensitive government material.
“Today’s seizures send a clear message that any attempts to exploit Americans trusted with access to our nation’s most sensitive information will be exposed and dismantled,” Pirro said.
“These sham consulting sites were crafted to deceive, but thanks to the persistent work of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, this scheme, like so many others, has been stopped in its tracks,” she added.
The FBI directly attributed the activity to Chinese intelligence-linked efforts.
“The fake consulting company domains seized by the FBI illustrate the lengths the Chinese government’s intelligence services will go to as they try to use AI-generated content to trick, recruit, or coerce current and former US security clearance holders into sharing sensitive information,” said Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division.
Officials said the job advertisements were circulated through social media platforms and employment websites, including Upwork, Expertia AI, Hubstaff Talent, Wellfound and Post Job Free, with listings focused on areas of strategic interest to the government of the People’s Republic of China.
Investigators also alleged that payments were routed through accounts tied to fictitious individuals, with cryptocurrency used to conceal both identities and financial flows.
Authorities said the arrangement allowed funds originating outside the United States to be moved into the country in support of the alleged operation.
“For too long, the Chinese government has tried to exploit US government employees behind the cover of fake companies and phoney job postings,” said Daniel Wierzbicki, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Counterintelligence and Cyber Division. “Today, we shut them down.”
The Justice Department said the suspects involved have denied acting on behalf of any foreign government. Following the seizure, the FBI replaced the websites with warning notices stating that the domains had been disabled as part of a law enforcement action.
The operation highlights growing concerns within US counterintelligence agencies over the use of artificial intelligence, encrypted communications and fake online identities to target individuals with access to sensitive national security information, particularly those with current or former security clearances.
