The Vienna Police Department has issued a warning of a new, sophisticated scam targeting current and former government employees.
Foreign intelligence operatives are posing as company representatives and reaching out to these employees with job opportunities, the police department said in a social media post. They then use “deceptive and sophisticated tactics” to try to gain sensitive intelligence information.
According to Juan Vazquez, a public information officer with the police department, operatives contact government employees and pose as representatives from legitimate consulting firms, think tanks, corporate headhunters, or networking platforms.
“Their goal is to lure individuals with what appear to be attractive job opportunities, only to exploit personal or professional information for intelligence-gathering purposes,” Vazquez says. “These approaches have grown more refined, often mimicking real organizations and using professional language to appear credible.”
Vazquez says government employees are contacted through email, LinkedIn, or other online platforms. They conduct follow-up virtual interviews, and request resumes and background details. “In some cases, these interactions evolve into requests for sensitive information under the guise of employment screening or project work. As a member of the law enforcement community, I urge everyone to remain vigilant, especially those with past or present access to classified or sensitive information,” Vazquez says.
Vazquez warns people to carefully vet unsolicited job offers and professional inquiries. And says to report any suspicious outreach to your government agency’s security office. You can also contact the FBI at 202-324-3000 or report it to their Internet Crime Compliance Center.
Feature image, istock/adobe.com
