US Think Tank Analyst Claims
"Targeting Former Government Officials and AI Researchers"
Chinese Embassy Responds: "Unfamiliar Organization"
It has been alleged that companies operated by a Chinese tech firm are attempting to hire recently laid-off U.S. federal government employees. On the 26th (local time), Yonhap News, citing Reuters, reported that according to Max Lesser, a senior analyst at the Washington D.C.-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), some companies posting job openings are fake consulting and headhunting firms targeting former government officials and artificial intelligence (AI) researchers.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and head of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is showing a T-shirt with "DOGE" written on it. DOGE recently laid off a large number of U.S. federal government employees. Photo by AFP Yonhap News
To verify Lesser's claims, an examination of four companies that posted job openings revealed that there was very little publicly available information. They shared the same website or used the same server. They were hosted on the same IP address as an internet service company called Smiao Intelligence, though the relationship between these entities is unknown.
Additionally, these companies did not answer phone calls, and their listed addresses led to vacant lots, indicating many were fake. There were no responses to email inquiries, and during the tracking process, the job listings disappeared. Lesser stated, “This is a technique established in past Chinese information operations,” adding, “It is important because it attempts to exploit the financial vulnerabilities of recently mass-laid-off federal government employees.”
However, it could not be confirmed whether these companies are truly connected to the Chinese government or if they actually hired former federal employees. Intelligence analysts told the media that this appears to be a representative case showing efforts by foreign-affiliated entities to collect information from employees who were fired or forced to retire by U.S. President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C. stated, “China is not aware of any organizations suspected to be involved in the campaign and respects the security of personal information.” An FBI spokesperson warned, “Chinese intelligence agents may disguise themselves as think tank and academic institution staff or recruitment company employees to target current and former government officials.”
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