Chinese hackers impersonated senior U.S. lawmaker as a way to influence trade talks

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A group of suspected Chinese hackers allegedly pretended to be a prominent member of Congress as a way to influence high-level trade negotiations between the U.S. and Beijing, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The hackers allegedly created fake digital profiles and sent fraudulent emails impersonating the lawmaker.

The fake emails were sent to key players in the trade negotiations, including U.S. officials, business leaders, and trade policy experts.

U.S. intelligence agencies have long warned that state-backed hackers from China, Russia, and other countries continue to target U.S. public and private entities. 

“This shows adversaries understand how much weight a single lawmaker’s voice can carry,” one congressional aide said in the report.

Authorities are still investigating whether any data was stolen during the operation.