Story perspectives

US Seizes 13 Domains Linked to Chinese Official Recruiters

6/11/2026

Summary

US Authorities Seize Domains

U.S. federal authorities seized 13 domains tied to a Chinese operation that recruited officials.
The Justice Department said the scheme began in November 2023 and that recruiters posted “Senior Analyst” jobs on Upwork and freelance sites.
Recruiters used stolen IDs, AI-generated photos, encrypted messaging and cryptocurrency to secure contracts that coaxed targets to submit reports.
Chinese embassy called the allegations unfounded while Five Eyes warned the recruitment effort is expanding.

Summary

FBI Warns

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) thanked private-sector partners for identifying the fake consulting websites.
Special Agent Daniel Wierzbicki (Washington) and Special Agent Dominique Evans (Norfolk) issued statements confirming involvement.
Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky said Chinese spies are using AI-generated content, leading the FBI to boost technical counter-espionage tools.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro warned the public to treat unexpected high-pay consulting offers as suspicious and to report them.

Summary

FBI Issues Warning

June 10 seizure echoed a March 2025 account of network targeting workers after President Donald Trump’s downsizing.
The FBI and the National Counterintelligence and Security Center released a film about CIA officer Kevin Mallory, sentenced to 20 years for passing secrets to China, which the agency’s warning website cites as a cautionary example.
The Chinese Embassy in London dismissed the Five Eyes accusations as pure fabrication and malicious slander.

History

Historical Context

In 2009-10 Chinese state-linked hackers launched Operation Aurora, stealing source code from Google and dozens of firms; the U.S. Department of Justice indicted 24 alleged perpetrators in 2014, claiming over $1 billion in trade-secret losses. FBI agents Daniel Wierzbicki and Dominique Evans now uncovered 13 fake consulting sites on Upwork, echoing Aurora’s deceptive recruitment tactics.

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US Authorities Seize Domains

U.S. federal authorities seized 13 domains tied to a Chinese operation that recruited officials.
The Justice Department said the scheme began in November 2023 and that recruiters posted “Senior Analyst” jobs on Upwork and freelance sites.
Recruiters used stolen IDs, AI-generated photos, encrypted messaging and cryptocurrency to secure contracts that coaxed targets to submit reports.
Chinese embassy called the allegations unfounded while Five Eyes warned the recruitment effort is expanding.

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