Foreign adversaries including Russia and China are targeting government workers who have been laid off amid the Trump administration’s attempt to downsize to recruit as spies, according to new intelligence.
“New intelligence indicates agents from China, Russia, and other countries have set their sights on recently fired probationary workers, or those with security clearances, hoping to obtain valuable information about U.S. critical infrastructure or national security interests,” according to intelligence distributed by the U.S. Coast Guard to its workforce.
“These foreign intelligence officers actively search LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, and Chinese social media site Xiaohongshu — known as RedNote — for potential sources,” it added. “In at least one instance, a foreign agent was instructed to create a company profile on LinkedIn, post a job listing, and actively track federal employees who indicated they were ‘open for work.'”
The Coast Guard did not develop the intelligence but rather distributed it as a warning to Coast Guard officials around the world.
In this Feb. 14, 2025, file photo, demonstrators rally in support of federal workers outside of the Department of Health and Human Services, in Washington, D.C.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP, FILE
“Posting about your frustration, status as a recently fired employee, or any other OPSEC sensitive information could make you a target,” the notice said. “Our adversaries have successfully preyed on upset and disgruntled government workers during past furloughs.”
Military members can be attractive targets, according to the intelligence, because of the information they may have access to.
The notice comes as two active-duty soldiers were recently charged with conspiring to sell classified material to China.
The Coast Guard said a telltale sign of foreign agents attempting to recruit former government officials is something that is too good to be true, noting that it probably is.
“Your contact might overly praise or focus on your skills/experience, especially if your government affiliation is known,” it said in the notice, adding that a sense for urgency might be an indicator as well.
