Proofpoint says Chinese hackers impersonated US AI experts to steal emails from policy specialists

On October 1, 2026, cybersecurity firm Proofpoint reported that Chinese hackers, tracked as TA419, have been impersonating US AI experts, including former White House official Lynne Parker, to steal emails from AI policy specialists in the US and Japan. The hackers sent phishing emails proposing AI collaborations and directed targets to password-stealing websites. One target, Alex Engler, received a suspicious email but did not fall for it. Proofpoint attributed the campaign to China based on malware and infrastructure. The report also highlighted a rise in AI-enabled voice phishing and identity fraud, with Microsoft reporting a 502% increase in Teams attacks.