China Hunts for US Experts Through Network of Fake Companies
A large-scale Chinese operation to recruit American specialists has been uncovered by analysts. A network of shell companies is actively seeking former US government officials and artificial intelligence researchers through popular job search platforms, exploiting their financial vulnerability following layoffs.
Recruitment Mechanisms and Intelligence Network
The investigation revealed a sophisticated scheme for recruiting American specialists through a network of shell companies operating under the direction of a secret Chinese technology corporation, Reuters reports.
According to Max Lesser, a senior analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the Chinese network actively posts job listings on popular platforms like Craigslist and LinkedIn. The exposed scheme includes several interconnected organizations, including RiverMerge Strategies and Wavemax Innovation – companies that share digital infrastructure and server capabilities.
Analysts particularly noted Smiao Intelligence, which positions itself as an internet service provider. According to Lesser, this organization employs classic Chinese intelligence methods and shares an IP address with other suspicious companies in the network.
The center’s analysts emphasize that the operation targets the vulnerability of former US federal employees who lost their jobs due to mass layoffs. Experts view this activity as a systematic attempt to gather intelligence information, particularly targeting employees dismissed during administrative changes during Donald Trump’s presidency.
A White House representative, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed that the discovered scheme is part of Beijing’s large-scale campaign. According to him, China consistently attempts to exploit the advantages of the open American system to achieve its intelligence objectives through methods of espionage and coercion.
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