Foreign Spies Target British Nationals With Fake Social Media Profiles

Thousands of UK nationals have been targeted by fake LinkedIn profiles linked to hostile states in the past five years, British security agency MI5 reports.

At least 10,000 UK nationals have been approached by malicious individuals using fraudulent profiles on the professional networking site, the BBC reports, citing MI5. The agency is now alerting government employees to the threat.

According to the report, MI5 warned those who had accepted fraudulent connection requests may have been tricked into sharing sensitive information. 

The education campaign is called Think Before You Link and informs potential targets that foreign spies are using the website to link up with workers who may have access to sensitive information.

LinkedIn says it welcomes the effort by British officials to educate possible victims.

The BBC report can be read here.