(Cyberscoop) . . . A string of recent cases demonstrate how suspected Chinese spies are exploiting LinkedIn, a networking site inherently meant to facilitate professional communications, to gather information about potential sources.
“They may pose as a job recruiter or someone with a shared interest to make a connection to a target and lure them into a relationship,” Dean Boyd, a spokesman for the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, said in a statement.
“Concealing their role in Chinese intelligence, they often attempt to elicit personal and professional information from their targets to gauge their value. With their most promising targets, they may offer all-expense-paid trips to China for an interview, a speech, or an exchange of research.”
By casting a wide net that may include thousands of messages, Boyd said, foreign spies need only one response from someone with access to secrets to show an interest.
By flattering the right person, or offering tens of thousands of dollars, operatives can exploit targets who are feeling undervalued at work, or frustrated with their financial situation. . . . (read the rest to see the different cases)
