Australia: senior official discloses existence of foreign spy network. Mike Burgess, head of Australia's main intelligence service, revealed the existence of a network active for several years.
Spies pose as consultants, headhunters, local officials, academics and think tank researchers. It targets Australians with access to “inside information” on social media, using English-speaking “fake personas” and promising cash rewards. Australia is a member of the Group of 5 - the "Five eyes" - an intelligence alliance also including the United States, Canada, the UK and New Zealand.