A China-linked hacking group sent emails in the names of American artificial intelligence specialists, including a former White House official, in an effort to gain access to the email accounts of AI experts from think tanks, universities, and other organizations. This is stated in a report by the U.S. cybersecurity company Proofpoint, Reuters reports.
According to Proofpoint, the TA419 group has been trying since at least 2025 to steal the passwords of employees at American and Japanese think tanks, defense contractors, universities, and law firms. Researchers linked it to China based on malware, network infrastructure, and target selection, which matches the priorities of Chinese intelligence.
In the latest campaign, the attackers wrote in the names of AI and public administration experts, including Lynn Parker, former principal deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Recipients were offered joint AI projects and then redirected to phishing sites.
The targets included about ten specialists in AI regulation, export controls, and national AI strategy. Proofpoint believes this points to an intelligence interest in U.S. policy, not just technology theft.
Reuters was able to identify one of the email recipients — former White House staffer Alex Engler. He received a message supposedly from Parker, found it strange, and after discussing it with colleagues realized he was dealing with an impostor.
Parker said that in early July, two people received such emails in her name. She called the theory of Chinese involvement plausible and said that attempts to learn the plans of people working on AI policy do not seem surprising against the backdrop of U.S.-China rivalry in AI.
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