MI5 warns Chinese spies using job websites to target government staff

Chinese spies are posing as recruitment agents to trick UK government and military staff into disclosing state secrets, MI5 has warned.

In a joint warning issued in a bulletin by the Five Eyes alliance, made up of UK, US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand agencies, it warned undercover operatives are using legitimate sites including LinkedIn, Indeed and Upwork to advertise fake analyst jobs.

Applicants are then pressurised into revealing "non-public" information which can be used by the Chinese military intelligence service.

The Five Eyes bulletin warns China's spies "seek to acquire privileged military, political and economic intelligence that can provide China with a strategic and tactical advantage".

Workers who could be targeted range from security clearance holders to academics and think tank employees, it warned.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: "I urge all government and military personnel to follow the National Protective Security Authority's advice to spot signs of online targeting and avoid inadvertently compromising our security.

"We have taken robust action to defend our country and will continue to tackle hostile actions from a range of states including China. A number of recent cases show the strength of the powers we have to bring to justice those that undertake acts on behalf of a foreign state."

The Five Eyes bulletin says Chinese agents post fake job adverts online before sifting through applicants' CVs to identify candidates worth exploiting.