Linked In Spying

Chinese agencies are using fake LinkedIn profiles to ensnare politicians
By Tobias Buck in Berlin

Chinese spies are populating LinkedIn: The Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz released some of the fake LinkedIn profiles used by Chinese intelligence, including academics and consultants claiming to belong to established and reputable-sounding institutions, think-tanks and universities.

Chinese intelligence agencies are using LinkedIn to establish contact with German politicians and officials, according to a study by Germany’s internal security service.
The Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV) on Sunday released some of the fake LinkedIn profiles used by Chinese intelligence, including academics and consultants claiming to belong to established and reputable-sounding institutions, think-tanks and universities.
Some of the most widely used profiles show pictures of attractive young women and men who claim to be headhunters or project managers or assistants. 
The names and profiles released by the BfV include those of Lily Wu and Alex Li from the Center for Sino-Europe Development Studies, Laeticia Chen from the China Center of International Politics and Economy and Eva Han from the China University of Political Science and Law.
 A special project group set up by the BfV earlier this year found that some 10,000 German citizens had been contacted in this manner, though the agency said it believed the true number was significantly higher. 
 “Chinese intelligence services are using new strategies of attack in the digital space. Social networks, especially LinkedIn, are being used in an ambitious manner to gather information and for recruitment,” said Hans-Georg Maassen, the BfV president.
“We are dealing with a broad attempt to infiltrate parliaments, ministries and administrations.”
The information released by the German authorities follows a nine-month survey of social networks that began in January.
 “Establishing contact through social media has for some time been on the agenda of foreign intelligence services . . . Information about habits, hobbies and even political interests can be generated with only a few clicks,” the BfV said.
“Chinese intelligence agencies in particular are active on networks like LinkedIn.” 
 According to German media reports, the Chinese intelligence services used fake profiles to contact members of the German and European parliaments, as well as senior military officials and representatives of foundations, lobby groups and consultancies.
 Once contact was made, the Chinese spies would try to launch a professional exchange of views and information, followed by invitations to conferences and other events in China.

Chinese Spies Are Populating LinkedIn

German intelligence unmasks covert Chinese LinkedIn profiles
Reuters

Chinese spies nest

BERLIN -- Germany’s intelligence service has published the details of social network profiles which are fronts faked by Chinese intelligence to gather personal information about German officials and politicians.
The BfV domestic intelligence service took the unusual step of naming individual profiles it says are fake and fake organizations to warn public officials about the risk of leaking valuable personal information via social media.
“Chinese intelligence services are active on LinkedIn and have been trying for a while to extract information and find intelligence sources in this way,” including seeking data on users’ habits, hobbies and political interests.
Nine months of research had found that more than 10,000 German citizens had been contacted on the LinkedIn professional networking site by fake profiles disguised as headhunters, consultants, think-tankers or scholars, the BfV said.
“There could be a large number of target individuals and fake profiles that have not yet been identified,” they added.
Among the faked profiles whose details were published were that of “Rachel Li”, identified as a “headhunter” at “RiseHR”, and an “Alex Li”, a “Project Manager at Center for Sino-Europe Development Studies”.
Many of the profile pictures show stylish and visually appealing young men and women. 

The picture of “Laeticia Chen”, a manager at the “China Center of International Politics and Economy” was nicked from an online fashion catalogue, an official said.
A Reuters review of the profiles showed that some were connected to senior diplomats and politicians from several European countries. 

There was no way to establish whether contacts had taken place beyond the initial social media “add”.
The warning reflects growing concern in European and western intelligence circles at Chinese covert activities in their countries and follows warnings from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency over attempts by the economic giant’s security services to recruit U.S. citizens as agents.
The BfV invited concerned users to contact them if they encountered social media profiles that seemed suspect.