The Five Eyes intelligence alliance and MI5 issued a joint warning on June 3-4, 2026, stating that Chinese military intelligence uses fake LinkedIn profiles and job postings to spy on government officials and tech experts. This “aggressive” campaign targets defense and policy professionals to acquire privileged military, political, and economic intelligence across Europe and the West.
The operation leverages a “honeypot” mechanism, using fake profiles—often featuring female headshots and recruiter-style bios—to establish trust and professional rapport. Once contact is made, agents sift through CVs to identify individuals with high-value access for further exploitation.
The campaign’s scale is significant. At least 20,000 UK citizens have been targeted with potential job offers. The Five Eyes alliance warns these tactics support Beijing’s strategic ambitions by securing “privileged military, political, and economic intelligence.”
UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis attributed the deception to the Chinese government. MI5 described the recruitment strategy as “aggressive,” noting that spies pose as head-hunters, consultants, or think-tank representatives to lure targets.
The warnings are particularly acute for European officials. While the Five Eyes bulletin focuses on member states, the risk extends to the European Union’s administrative hub in Brussels.
This activity follows a broader pattern of Chinese intelligence operations in Europe. Belgian security services (VSSE) previously reported significant breaches, including a major operation between 2021 and 2023 in which China-linked actors compromised 10% of the agency’s emails.