The warning from the national counterintelligence and security centre comes amid mass federal firings led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government of Efficiency.

“Foreign intelligence entities, particularly those in China, are targeting current and former US government (USG) employees for recruitment by posing as consulting firms, corporate headhunters, think tanks, and other entities on social and professional networking sites,” the centre said in a bulletin.

The centre said deceptive online job offers and other approaches have become more sophisticated in targeting individuals with US government backgrounds seeking new employment. It warned current and former federal employees of such approaches.

It added that clearance holders are obligated to protect classified data even after leaving federal employment.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately provide comment.

Reuters previously reported about a network of companies operated by a secretive Chinese tech firm that has been trying to recruit recently laid-off US government workers.