The FBI has disabled 13 websites that Chinese intelligence allegedly used to target Americans holding security clearances. The sites posed as consulting firms offering easy money to recruit or coerce individuals into sharing sensitive information.
The Justice Department announced the action on Wednesday. Officials said the domains targeted current and former US government personnel with security clearances. Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, stated that the fake sites used AI-generated content. He noted efforts to trick or blackmail individuals into divulging classified information. The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the claims. It described the allegations as fabricated and malicious slander. The FBI cited observations of Chinese intelligence using AI along with professional networking and payment platforms in such operations.