China-linked group TA419 impersonates White House and Anthropic figures to phish AI policy experts

Proofpoint found that the China-linked espionage group tracked as TA419 launched multiple rounds of credential phishing campaigns in July 2026, impersonating former leadership members of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and other identities, targeting U.S. AI policy experts. Starting July 8, 2026, the group impersonated Lynne Edwards Parker, former Principal Deputy Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and economist Heidi Crebo-Rediker; in February 2026 it also impersonated a senior Anthropic employee, sending emails with the subject "Request for Feedback on Military Integration of Claude" to AI policy analysts at U.S. think tanks. Proofpoint assessed that the activity may serve the broader goals of Chinese intelligence agencies, namely understanding U.S. AI policy and regulatory developments.