Thirteen fake “consulting” websites, which officials say were Chinese spy fronts, just got shut down for trying to pay American insiders for secrets.
Story Snapshot
- Federal agents seized 13 websites they say were Chinese-run fronts trying to recruit U.S. workers with security clearances.[2][3]
- The sites posed as consulting firms, offering high pay for “research” that prosecutors say was really fishing for sensitive government information.[2]
- Operatives allegedly used stolen identities, fake names, and artificial intelligence photos to look legitimate and hide who was really behind them.[1][2]
- The case highlights how foreign intelligence now uses normal job boards and online gigs to target Americans, especially former military and government staff.[1][2]
Fake Consulting Sites Targeted Americans With Security Clearances
Federal investigators say the 13 seized websites were not real consulting firms at all, but tools to reach Americans with access to classified or sensitive information.[2][3] Prosecutors explain that the domains were built to look like professional firms and advertised vague, high-paying roles for current and former officials and military members.[2] The goal, according to court documents, was simple and dangerous: find people who knew things that Beijing wanted, and pay them to share it.[2]
The Justice Department says this campaign started around November 2023 and was run by suspected Chinese intelligence operatives.[1][2][3] These operators allegedly used normal job platforms and freelance sites where many Americans already look for side work or new careers.[2] Listings used titles like “Senior Analyst” and “International Affairs Consultant,” attractive roles for people leaving government service with valuable experience and security clearances.[2] Officials warn this made the scheme harder to spot, especially for those worried about retirement income.
How The Alleged Recruitment Scheme Worked
According to the affidavit, once a target responded to a job post, the conspirators moved the talks into private, encrypted messaging apps such as Telegram and similar tools.[2] There, they reportedly offered “consulting” payments for research papers and answers to detailed questions about U.S. policy, national security, and military issues.[2] Prosecutors say some requests crossed the line from open-source analysis into insider knowledge, the kind of information foreign intelligence services prize.[2]
To make the fake firms look real, the operators allegedly used a full bag of tricks: aliases, stolen identities, and artificial intelligence-generated photographs to build convincing employee profiles on the sites.[1][2] The Justice Department says they also routed money through overseas accounts, cryptocurrency, and online payment services registered under false names.[2] That setup made it harder for Americans to see that payments were really coming from actors tied to the Chinese state, not from a normal private employer.[2] Officials argue this shows a growing mix of technology, fraud, and foreign spying in one package.[1][2]
China’s Broader Play: Job Offers As Intelligence Tools
This case fits a pattern that national security officials have warned about for years: foreign intelligence services using fake jobs and networking sites to reach Americans with access to secrets.[1] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has publicly warned that Chinese intelligence services use career platforms like LinkedIn to track, approach, and sometimes recruit potential spies. A public warning from FBI Atlanta said China is using fake job offers to target current and former U.S. government workers and urged people, “Don’t take the bait.”
June 10: thirteen internet domains used to target US persons, including current and former security clearance holders with access to classified and sensitive US government information, were seized by federal authorities.
⁰According to the affidavit filed in support of the… pic.twitter.com/grfnMhwnFq— Byron Wan (@Byron_Wan) June 10, 2026
In this most recent case, the websites carried names like Centrik Global Consulting, Rightinfo Consulting, and several others, all designed to sound like global strategy firms.[2] Prosecutors say the campaign dangled “relatively large payments for research reports” as a way to test how far targets would go in sharing sensitive information.[1][2] The suspected operatives, for their part, have denied any foreign government role, but the Justice Department continues to describe them as backed by Chinese agents seeking classified and sensitive data.[1][3]
Sources:
[1] Web – FBI Seizes 13 Websites that Officials Say Were Used by China to Target …
[2] Web – FBI seizes 13 websites that officials say were used by China … – …
[3] Web – FBI seizes fake recruitment websites used to target US officials
