DOJ: Millions of Americans victimized in 14-year Chinese hacking scheme

The U.S. Department of Justice disclosed that millions of Americans have been affected by a hacking scheme orchestrated by Chinese nationals. The alleged hackers are accused of cyber espionage and interference in critical infrastructure, targeting politicians, national security officials, journalists and businesses.

Both the U.K. and U.S. governments point fingers at the hacking group “Advanced Persistent Threat 31.” The group is allegedly backed by China’s government spy agency and conducted a cyberattack campaign that spanned 14 years.

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U.S. prosecutors assert that the hacking resulted in compromised work accounts, personal emails, online storage and call records.

The hackers purportedly utilized disguised emails appearing to originate from prominent news outlets or journalists containing hidden tracking links.

Upon opening these emails, recipients’ information — including their location and IP addresses — would be transmitted to a server controlled by the group. This data was then leveraged for more sophisticated, targeted hacking, compromising recipients’ home routers and other devices.

The U.K. expressed concern that potentially millions of U.K. voters’ information held by the Electoral Commission may have been compromised.

Analysts highlight a surge in cyberattacks attributed to Chinese actors, often associated with the country’s intelligence agencies.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., responded and denied the claims.