\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFederal authorities have seized over a dozen websites they say were used by suspected Chinese agents to recruit former and current American officials with security clearances.According to the FBI\u2019s affidavit for the seizures, several unnamed people used the websites as a front for fake \u201cconsulting companies to recruit individuals in the United States to obtain sensitive and possibly classified information in exchange for monetary payments.\u201dThe websites allegedly advertised for such positions as \u201cInternational Affairs Analysts (Remote),\u201d Defense Analyst, \u201cJobs for Ex-Military Personnel\u201d as well as generic \u201cconsulting\u201d positions.The affidavit lists seven unnamed people who were recruited through the websites and says the recruiters asked for papers on various subjects including China and U.S. relations, Iran and the Israel-Palestine war \u2014 all while pressing for insider or exclusive information.The FBI believes the people running the alleged scheme, who were all located overseas, were acting \u201cwittingly or unwittingly\u201d on behalf of the Chinese government. In a press release Wednesday, the Justice Department noted the people running the websites \u201cdenied any involvement by any foreign government.\u201dThe websites were paid for through cryptocurrency and foreign banks. It\u2019s unclear if any classified material was ever shared through the alleged plot.\u201cThe conspirators have also paid the various recruits at accounts located in the United States through payments originating from accounts located overseas,\u201d the affidavit says.The FBI says the conspirators used identify theft, AI-generated photos and videos and \u201crelatively large payments for research reports\u201d in their attempt to gain access to sensitive intel.Last year, a report from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service alleged foreign actors were attempting to recruit federal employees and capitalize on the Trump administration\u2019s plans for mass layoffs across various agencies, CNN reported at the time.At least one foreign intelligence officer directed an asset to create a company profile on LinkedIn and post a job advertisement, and to actively pursue federal employees who indicate they are \u201copen to work,\u201d the NCIS document reviewed by CNN said.Targeted recruits, the FBI says, were hired through job postings related to topics of interest to the Chinese government on job search websites including LinkedIn, Upwork and other similar sites.The conspirators allegedly copied information and photos from real companies overseas and used them on the scam websites, according to the affidavit.One of the websites allegedly contained testimonials from the fictional cast of the Anchorman comedy movie, including Will Ferrell\u2019s character Ron Burgundy and Steve Carell\u2019s Brick Tamland.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n