An espionage operation carried out by Chinese secret services targeted employees of European Union and NATO institutions. The intervention was made through fake profiles on LinkedIn, with dozens of people being targeted.
Many of the “victims” were recruited in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Italy. As a result, important information could reach the Chinese government, according to Agerpres, referring to the Belgian Minister of Justice.
One of the fake LinkedIn profiles, which was particularly active, bore the name Kevin Zhang. The spy claimed to be the head of a consultancy firm, based in Hong Kong.
In an initial phase, the spies ordered paid reports or paid analysis notes from the recruited individuals, then they requested information that was not public or even classified. The remunerations ranged from a few hundred to several thousand euros.
The subjects of interest for the Chinese intelligence services have particularly targeted the sanctions and other measures imposed by the European Union that were aimed at China, as well as NATO’s strategy in Asia, especially regarding Taiwan.