“They use legal internet platforms [to hire people] and break down their tasks, so it is difficult for individuals to understand their real purpose. The crowdsourcing method makes remote espionage activities more deceptive and concealed,” the MSS said.

The article advised caution when accepting tasks that ask individuals to download professional geographic mapping software and upload data at certain locations to win rewards. Such locations are usually sensitive, and security threats could emerge if several people upload the requested information, the MSS said.

The WeChat article also outlined a scheme in which foreign agencies provide people with Internet of Things devices that gather information that is then uploaded to a highly secure network with wide coverage.