Federal authorities seized 13 websites on Wednesday that were allegedly set up by Chinese intelligence agents to trick Americans into handing over sensitive national security information. The elaborate scheme specifically targeted current and former U.S. government and military employees who hold security clearances.
According to the Justice Department and the FBI, the suspected agents created fake consulting firms to lure in recruits with the promise of easy money.
The scammers used popular job boards like Upwork, Wellfound, and Hubstaff Talent to post listings for generic roles such as “Senior Analyst” or “International Affairs Consultant.” Once they got an applicant on the hook, the recruiters would pressure them into sharing exclusive or insider government reports in violation of their official duties.
The operation leaned heavily on modern tech to look legitimate. Court documents reveal the group used AI-generated photos, stolen identities, and fake aliases to build their phony companies. They communicated with targets through encrypted apps like Telegram and paid for the confidential reports using cryptocurrency to hide where the money was really coming from. Contracts and non-disclosure agreements were even drawn up to make the fake consulting work seem completely normal.
Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg warned the public about the dangers of these too-good-to-be-true job offers. “These domain seizures offer a glimpse at how foreign actors can use promises of easy money to lure Americans into revealing sensitive or classified information that they are duty‑bound to protect,” he said. Eisenberg added that anyone who gets an online offer for vague consulting work should treat it with extreme caution and look out for warning signs.
FBI officials pointed directly to the Chinese government as the architects of the scam, though the conspirators have denied any foreign government involvement. Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky noted that Chinese intelligence services are increasingly turning to AI, professional networking platforms, and online payment systems to trick or coerce Americans into giving up protected data.
“Today’s seizures send a clear message that any attempts to exploit Americans trusted with access to our nation’s most sensitive information will be exposed and dismantled,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. She emphasized that the persistent work of law enforcement stopped the deceptive scheme in its tracks.
The 13 seized domains included sites operating under names like Centrik Global Consulting, Pulse Wave Global, Catalyst Global Solutions, and SafeSec Group. If you try to visit any of the involved websites today, you’ll instead find a takeover page posted by the FBI. The federal warning message explains that agents took the websites offline to disrupt the illegal bribery, identity theft, and money laundering activities tied to the domains.
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