"In 2023, MI5 chief Ken McCallum said Chinese agents were approaching Britons on LinkedIn on an extraordinary scale, at a rate of 10,000 over the preceding two and a half years, seeking political, industrial, military and technological secrets. But a fresh campaign aimed at politicians and parliament has led the spy agency to act again. An espionage alert was issued on Tuesday via the offices of Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons speaker, and his Lords equivalent:"
"In the curious manner of British intelligence, there was no publication of the security advice from MI5 or the Home Office. But the agency knew its briefing note would leak once it was emailed out to parliament. Republishing it in the media helps the wider public better identify interactions with a fraudulent intent. The alert has the effect of flushing out more information from in and around Westminster, though that is not MI5's primary purpose."
LinkedIn approaches have offered paid geopolitical reporting that requests non-public or insider insights, often proposing payment in cryptocurrency or cash. China's Ministry of State Security deploys recruitment consultants to seek sources with relevant access. MI5 recorded around 10,000 approaches to Britons over two and a half years for political, industrial, military and technological secrets. A renewed campaign targeted MPs, peers, staffers, economists and thinktanks, triggering an espionage alert circulated via the Commons and Lords speakers. MI5 anticipated the briefing would leak and encouraged wider republication to help the public identify and resist fraudulent interactions on LinkedIn.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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