Security News > 2024 > July > Uncle Sam accuses telco IT pro of decade-long spying campaign for China

"The MSS often uses 'cooperative contacts' located in countries outside of the PRC in furtherance of their intelligence goals, which include obtaining information concerning foreign corporate or industrial matters, foreign politicians or intelligence officers, and information concerning PRC political dissidents residing in those countries," the Department of Justice said, announcing the charges.

In 2012, Li is alleged to have gathered biographical information about an individual associated with the Falun Gong religious movement and passed it back to the MSS within a week of receiving the order.

Li is also claimed to have gathered information about his telco employer in 2015 after it opened a number of branch offices in China.

The indictment does not reveal either the nature of the information or the name of the telco in question.

Finally, three months later, the MSS is said to have requested information on an individual China thought to be theirs but fled the country to the US. MSS supplied Li with the individual's name and suspected US address and Li provided the property owner's details to the MSS later the same day, it is claimed.

"From as early as 2012, Li allegedly served as a cooperative contact working at the direction of officers of the MSS to obtain information of interest to the PRC government," said the DoJ. "Li used a variety of anonymous online accounts for the purpose of communicating with the MSS, and traveled to the PRC to meet with the MSS.".

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/07/25/us_it_pro_spying_charge/