French intelligence services warn of the presence of Russian spies on Leboncoin

Spies are looking for informants for Moscow on Leboncoin, professors of mathematics or FrFrench, from the Grandes Ecoles or technology companies that offer courses. These are high potential targets for Russian spies. “The Russians are looking via the Internet for students in areas that interest them and that are sensitive such as nuclear research, nuclear physics”explains Vincent Crouzet, ex-agent of the DGSE.

In Paris, in 2020, a young engineer in artificial intelligence was thus “stamped”, as the intelligence services say. A KGB expert contacted him on Leboncoin. They saw each other in a restaurant for math lessons. But one day the spy showed up more insistent and he asked notes on the subject on which workmilk the studyant, offering him money in exchange. The Russian Spy was then unmasked in the middle of the transaction and sent back to Russia. Twelve similar cases have been identified in three years by the DGSI. For the first time, the services are alerting and communicating about the Russian techniques used and how to thwart them.