Justice Department and FBI Disable 13 Websites Linked to Chinese Agents
Justice Department and FBI Disable 13 Websites 🚨
Thirteen internet domains used to target U.S. persons, including current and former security clearance holders with access to classified and sensitive U.S. government information, were seized today by federal authorities. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg stated, “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.”
Additionally, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division noted, “The fake consulting company domains seized by the FBI illustrate the lengths the Chinese government’s intelligence services will go to as they try to use AI-generated content to trick, recruit, or coerce current and former U.S. security clearance holders into sharing sensitive information.”
According to the affidavit filed in support of the seizure warrants, beginning in November 2023, the conspirators created at least 13 fake consulting company websites. The websites and their associated job postings advertised generic “consulting” jobs and included statements indicating their purpose was to recruit current or former U.S. government and U.S. military employees to provide expertise to unspecified clients. The methods and means used by the conspirators include:
- The use of aliases, fictitious personas, and the stolen identities of actual persons.
- The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated photographs.
- Relatively large payments for research reports.
- The use of Telegram and other encrypted applications.
- Pressure to provide “exclusive” or “insider” information.
- The transfer of money from places and accounts located overseas to places and accounts located in the United States.
The conspirators targeted current and former security clearance holders and other Americans who have access to classified and sensitive U.S. government information.
The affidavit alleges that the conspirators offered money to applicants and recruits in exchange for sensitive information, paid for reports using online payment accounts in the names of fictitious individuals, and used cryptocurrency to conceal the conspirators’ identities and the true source of the payments.
The domains seized today include:
- centrikglobalconsulting.com
- rightinfoconsult.com
- finnaclevesperconsulting.com
- cydfconsulting.com
- pulsewaveglobal.com
- catalystglobalsolutions.com
- thehorizzen.com
- geoindopacific.com
- gpf-ina.org
- safesec-group.com
- thetruthinfo.com
- Vandercons.com
- gulfpeace.org
Following the seizures, the FBI placed takeover pages on the seized websites to warn site visitors that the sites were rendered inoperable in order to disrupt the intended illegal activity and money laundering tied to the domains. If you have information concerning the websites, please contact the FBI at 1-800-Call-FBI (225-5324) or online at tips.FBI.gov.