Dickson Yeo and spying in the time of social networking

Singaporean Dickson Yeo's pleading guilty in a US court last month to spying for China has cast a spotlight on the world of espionage, the role technology plays and why intelligence agencies continue to tap individuals to gather sensitive information. The Straits Times reports.

Singaporean Dickson Yeo pleaded guilty to acting within the US as an illegal agent of Chinese intelligence. PHOTO: DICKSON YEO/QUORA
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At the behest of a Chinese intelligence operative, two years ago, Singaporean Dickson Yeo conjured up a consultancy firm and posted a fake job listing on professional networking site LinkedIn.

The response floored him.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 03, 2020, with the headline Dickson Yeo and spying in the time of social networking. Subscribe