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China’s extensive ‘honey trap’ spy network could involve thousands of ploys underway now, ex-operative says
‘There are many more of these women out there,’ retired CIA officer Daniel Hoffman says
By Hollie McKay. . . multiple former intelligence officials surmising that such schemes carried out by Chinese spies have long played out on U.S. soil, and remain ongoing. . . .
. . . While several current and former intelligence and security officials and experts interviewed by Fox News said that it was impossible to put a number on just how many honey trap scenarios might be in motion at present, one former defense and intelligence operative noted that it could be well into the hundreds – if not thousands. Such spies are assumed to be at top universities, known to speak perfect English, and routinely use social media platforms such as Linkedin and Facebook to connect with their prey.
But it is not only about enmeshing big names – it is about having an eye for talent, and starting when one’s star is about to begin rising. . . .
. . . .In Swalwell’s case, he was seemingly ensnared by a woman named Christine Fang or Fang Fang . . . became a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. . . .
. . . “The females who are employed in this tactic place themselves in a position where they come into contact with the targeted individual. The target is almost always a male, but there have been some instances of females also falling prey to this,” observed Del Wilber, a former U.S. intelligence officer. “The goal is to get the target into a compromising position, usually with photos or video evidence of their indiscretions.”
Wilber underscored that married men are most often the targets, but at one point homosexual behavior was also targeted and used against individuals.
“Once compromised, they are told to cooperate, or else their actions will be disclosed and they’ll be divorced, lose their government clearance and their job, etc.,” he asserted. . . .
. . . China, while one of the dozens of countries that relies heavily on the honey trap tactic, has perfected it with a spattering of stratagems and techniques, used for different purposes with varying motivations.
And it is not only the likes of Swalwell, the main target, which the operatives want to glean but also those around them. Thus, many befriend aides, junior staffers, interns and the like to build a more comprehensive profile of the “high-value target.”
While covert Chinese operatives in recent times have come to be heavily associated with cyber espionage and hacking, the human intelligence gathering, termed “HUMINT,” remains a traditional staple. . . .
. . . While much of China’s honey trap resources in decades past were centered on entangling high-flying businessmen or professors running top laboratories across the country . . . efforts have expanded into the political sphere. . . .
. . .When U.S. and other western officials make trips to China, even more warning words are raised. . . .
