Chinese hackers impersonated former U.S. government officials and artificial intelligence experts in an email campaign targeting people working on AI policy and technology, according to cybersecurity company Proofpoint and reporting by Reuters.

The campaign targeted fewer than 10 people at several organizations, including think tanks, universities, defense contractors and law firms. The attackers reportedly used emails that appeared to propose legitimate AI collaborations before directing recipients to websites designed to steal passwords.

Reuters identified one target as Alex Engler, a former White House Office of Science and Technology Policy official who now works at the University of Pennsylvania. The campaign focused on people involved in areas such as AI regulation, export controls and U.S. national AI strategy.

Proofpoint attributed the activity to a China-linked group it tracks as TA419. The incident highlights the growing use of social engineering and impersonation techniques against people with access to sensitive information about the rapidly developing U.S. AI industry.